Dyson echoes IET's curriculum warning on engineering

In a statement echoed by industrial designer and businessman James Dyson, the Institution of Engineering and Technology argued that proposed changes to England’s design and technology (DT) curriculum lack the ambition needed to encourage more young people into engineering.

Dyson made a similar point in an article in today’s Guardian, arguing that education secretary Michael Gove was overlooking design and technology in the proposed curriculum and ‘diluting it with puff pastry and topiary’ instead of engineering.

Without an increase in engineers, he warned, technology companies would leave the UK for countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, further cutting Britain’s export capabilities.

As part of the IET’s submission to the Department for Education’s National Curriculum consultation, which closes today, the organisation said the draft proposals appear to set lower expectations for pupils compared to the existing programme.

In particular, the IET argues, there appears to be an inappropriately high focus on practical and life skills at the expense of encouraging students to innovate, design, create, and build.