Katharine Birbalsingh, director and chair of the Social Mobility Committee, commented on diversity and inclusion in Stem issues (science, technology, engineering and math) with the Commons Science and Technology Committee. He told lawmakers that just 16 percent of sixth-graders were girls, and that they made up the majority of students in biology, chemistry and math. “It’s mostly girls doing Stem issues here, other than physics,” she said. “From my knowledge of these things, physics is not something that girls tend to love. They do not want to do it. They do not like it. “My explanation for the children we have here is that they do not want it. “They would prefer to study biology and chemistry.” When asked by Greg Clark, chairman of the committee, for explanations, Ms Birbalsingh said: “I just do not think they like it. “There’s a lot of hard math in there that I think they’d rather not do.”
The “strictest” non-nonsensical approach of the British director
Ms Birbalsingh, who was appointed chair of the Social Mobility Committee last October, had previously been described as Britain’s “toughest” principal with her approach being credited with boosting student performance. As principal and founder of the Michaela Community School in Wembley, north-west London, her rules kept students in custody for offenses ranging from going to class without a ruler to breaking political silence by speaking in the hallways. In 2019, Michaela’s GCSE scores were ranked among the best in the country compared to other non-selective public schools. The results show that more than half (54 percent) of all grades were level 7 or higher (equivalent to the old formulas A and A *), which was more than double the national average of 22 percent. Ms Birbalsingh, who became CBE in 2020, was elected to the Conservative Party in 2010, where she gave a passionate speech about how schools have been “blinded by leftist ideology”, leading to a lack of discipline and misconduct.
Reaction to “outdated stereotypes”
Her comments have angered people in both the scientific and educational spheres, with MPs, scientists and professors all condemning the remarks. Rachel Youngman, Deputy Managing Director of the Institute of Physics (IOP), said: “The IOP is very concerned about the continued use of outdated stereotypes, as we firmly believe that physics is for everyone, regardless of background or gender. “Outdated ideas must be eliminated, all young people must be encouraged to learn physics and other sciences, and we need special teachers to provide this education.” Professor Jim Al-Khalili, a physics expert at the University of Surrey, called the comments “awful, awful nonsense” and “a reciprocating stake.” Following the reactions, Ms. Birbalsingh reiterated her views, saying on Twitter:
