Design and technology is the key to inspiring the next generation of designers and engineers, and schools should hold on to it, says Jesse Elzinga, Headmaster of Reading Blue Coat School
In an article in The Telegraph (10 March 2017), a poll conducted by the Association of School and College Leaders revealed that the Design and technology (DT) GCSE has been ?axed from nearly half of schools?, amid pressure for pupils to succeed in core compulsory subjects.
And yet, at Reading Blue Coat School, design and technology is a subject that?s thriving, and where we have invested more than £2million in a new state-of-the-art DT centre. We know how important this subject is for young people, and while we?re careful not to neglect the core subjects, we have identified many reasons why DT should continue to play an important role in our curriculum. Find out more about Reading Blue Coat School on our Schools Directory
Head of DT at Blue Coat, Harvey McGough believes that while the subject was once perceived as less academically-rigorous, students are now combining DT with more traditionally academic subjects, like maths and physics. It also offers much that is relevant in the modern world, blending science and the arts, and focusing on economic and environmental issues.
Above, the outcomes of Blue Coat’s pupils are superb, evident in the products they produce
The students of today have grown up surrounded by constant technological innovation, and DT allows them to make the most o...