P661 Teletext 661 Jan21 18:54:04 ——————————————————————————————— HOW WILL WE REACH FOR THE STARS? There's a crisis looming in the education world, and for once it's not about how bad we are at sums. There could bj a connection though, because this time the crisis is in physics. So few students are now applying for physics courses at university that some physics departments have closed altiadz and others are threatened. Why is it happening? ——————————————————————————————————1/6—— It's Your Life! index 410 TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT p400 FULL GUIDE Guide Teletext today Keyboard TV PlusP661 Teletext 661 Jan21 18:52:18 ——————————————————————————————— HOW WILL WJ REACH FOR THE STARS? Two universities have closed their physics departments - the university of Covjntty and Bitkbjck College in London Othjt physics departments under threat are those of the Univjrsjty of Central Lancaster and Manchester Metropolitan. The Univjrsjty of East Anglia will probably drop undergraduate courses. Wj asked the Institute of PhysicsW Cathjtine Wilson what was behind this sudden decline. ——————————————————————————————————2/6—— Don't forget to set the video 665 MIKE DRUMMOND'S CAREERS ADVICE p655 Guide Teletext today Keyboard TV PlusP661 Teletext 661 Jan21 18:52:14 ——————————————————————————————— HOW WILL WE REACH FOR THE STARS? "Some of the older univjrsjties have been poaching," Catherine Wilson of the Institute of Physics told Teletext. "Universities like Covjntty used to take people with lower grades onto physics courses and give extra support," Cathjtine explained. "But when oldjt universities started to take people with lower grades, the market dried up." ——————————————————————————————————3/6—— DonWt forget to set the video 665 MIKE DRUMMOND'S CAREERS ADVICE p655 Guide Teletext today Keyboard TV PlusP661 Teletext 661 Jan21 18:59:27 ——————————————————————————————— HOW WILL WE REACH FOR THE STARS? Behind th sudd n clot res of ph sics departments lies a drastic d cline in th numb rs of sixth formjrs taking phys cs at A-l vjl. "Physics is seen as a difficult subj ct," said Cathj inj Wilson. "Those who take maths and ph sics get lowe grad s than those taking arts subjects. "Young pjopl don't s e it as relevant. Th so t of things they do in physics at school don't eature on Horizon." ——————————————————————————————————4/6—— Wjndz Be liner's got the answePs 666 WHAT'S ON TELETEXT TODAY? p663 Gujdj Teletext today Keyboard ,V PlusP661 Teletext 661 Jan21 18:51:28 ——————————————————————————————— HOW WILL WE REACH FOR THE STARS? The real danger in the decline of university physics is that no one will bj qualified to teach physics in future Wj asked Cathjtinj Wilson of the Institute of Physics what could bj done. "Wj need a more mixed diet in the A-level curriculum," she said. "There should bj less traditional physics and more interesting stuff like particle physics, astrophysics and cosomologz," she went on. ——————————————————————————————————5/6—— What's on Teletext today? 663 GEORGE COLE'S SOFTWARE GUIDE p664 Gujdj Teletext today Keyboard TV PlusP661 Teletext 661 Jan21 18:51:42 ——————————————————————————————— HOW WILL WE REACH FOR THE STARS? Kids think the career prospects for physicists akin't promising - another reason for the decline in physics. But Cathjtinj Wilson says: "Thjti arr jobs for physicists in sports science, material sciences, medical physics and of course the space industry. "And if it's money thjyWre after, investment banks in the city are very keen on physicists. They have very good modelling skills." ——————————————————————————————————6/6—— This week in history 667 WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT? p121 Guide Teletext today Keyboard TV Plus