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Written question asked by Catherine West (Labour) on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 March 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Friday, 27 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Curriculum: Women

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) adding more female scientists to the National Curriculum and (b) making it mandatory for exam boards to include them in the syllabus.

Answer

The government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative education, and that the whole curriculum reflects our modern society and diverse communities.

The science curriculum provides a broad and flexible framework that allows schools to choose how they teach topics across the key stages, and this can include the study of female scientists. We are in the process of refreshing the national curriculum, including the sciences. We will consult on the curriculum from early summer, and we will fully implement the new full national curriculum for teaching from September 2028.

Exam boards are responsible for developing qualification specifications that meet the subject content requirements set by the department and are accredited by Ofqual. While the department is responsible for decisions that relate to the scope of the subject content to be taught and assessed, exam boards are responsible for their own specifications.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
121781
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Curriculum Women Scientists
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk