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Topics and policy

Education and skills

Science and mathematics are at the heart of modern life. They are essential to understanding the world and provide the foundations for economic prosperity.

Being educated in science and mathematics enables people to make informed choices about their life and work, empowers them to shape scientific and technological developments, and equips them to prosper in today’s rapidly-changing, knowledge-focused economies.

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  • Response to Higher Education Green Paper

    The Royal Society has responded to the Government’s 2015 green paper on higher education. 

    Read the response

  • Reforms to the UK’s higher education, research and innovation system

    We are working closely with the Fellowship and the broader research and innovation community to engage with the Higher Education and Research Bill.

    What is the Society doing?

  • Educational research

    This programme seeks to grow and harness the transformative power of educational research. A research conference on the assessment of experimental science will be held in October 2016.

    Explore the programme

  • Science on Stage

    Apply to be part of the UK delegation to the Science on Stage international science teaching festival in Hungary in 2017.

    Applications now open

  • Vision

    This project aims to set out a vision for how the UK can develop an inspiring and high performing science and mathematics education system over the next 15—20 years.

    Explore the report

  • Making education your business

    A practical guide to supporting STEM education.

    Download the report

  • Computing education

    The Google and Microsoft funded Royal Society Computing Education Project aims to support schools teaching the new computing curriculum.

    Find out more

Also of interest

ACME

The Royal Society hosts and supports the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), which is the leading advisory body on 5-19 mathematics education in England.

Visit ACME website

Teacher resources

Our education resources span all sciences and key stages.

Explore our teacher resources

Fellows working in this area

Professor Tom McLeish

Professor Tom McLeish is a theoretical physicist whose work is renowned for increasing our understanding of the properties of soft matter.

He is Professor of Physics at Durham University and Director of the Durham Centre for Soft Matter, advises on the AHRC Science and Culture programme, and chairs the Royal Society’s Education Committee.

Dame Julia Higgins

Dame Julia Higgins is a polymer scientist and Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College, London.

Working to foster gender equality and diversity amongst scientists, Dame Julia has chaired the Royal Society’s Diversity Committee and Education Committee, the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), the Athena Project, and many more.