YES Over the last 15 years or so, there has been a concerted effort by advocates for science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) education in the UK to win greater support. Ministers now actively encourage students to pursue Stem subjects, promising that this will guarantee jobs and upward social mobility. In 2014, then minister for education Nicky Morgan declared: “The arts and humanities were [once] what you chose because they were useful for all kinds of jobs. Of course, we know now that couldn’t be further from the truth—that the subjects that keep young people’s options open and unlock the door to all sorts of careers are the Stem subjects.” (The 2010 Browne review suggested removing direct funding for humanities subjects.)
It is simply not true that there are no jobs on the other end of a humanities degree. In 2016, the creative industries contributed £91.8bn to the UK economy, more than engineering, life sciences and the energy sectors combined. The last thing I want to do, as chair of public understanding of the humanities at the University of London, is steer people away from Stem. I want to steer them towards subjects in which they are likely to excel, to bring value to their own lives.