NERCOUTE Primary Focus

UK marine science poorly reflects the diversity of society. Over 90% of University applicants for marine sciences are white (only Veterinary science and Agriculture are less diverse) and less than 2% of UK marine science PhDs between 2016-2022 were awarded to black students. At an individual level, people from many different backgrounds are being prevented from pursuing a career in marine science. At a national level, UK marine science itself is affected, as evidence indicates that diversity improves the performance of an organisation. There are many challenges facing us related to the ocean. Talent, not background, should determine who tackles them. The causes for this lack of diversity are complex. There is no silver bullet. There are deep structural issues that need to be tackled at a government level. For example, British individuals from lowest income households are five times less likely to progress into professional scientific roles than those in the highest, and the largest UK marine institutions are in coastal locations where people of colour are less likely to live. However, there are also significant factors, such as a lack of diversity in role models, unawareness of the diversity of careers in marine science and limited exposure to the many exciting aspects of the marine world, that can be addressed more easily. To do so though, it is most effective to focus at points in peoples’ lives where maximum impact is possible. Primary school is such a place. The children are yet to have made the decisions that will progressively constrain them as they move through education and the primary curriculum offers more flexibility to incorporate marine elements. Primary Focus has the ambitious long term aim of transforming diversity in marine science to reflect that in wider society within a generation. It will achieve this by focussing on how the aspiration of primary school children to work in marine related areas can be fostered. This is part of a long process. The first step is to understand where we are now. What prevents children of primary school age (4-11 yrs) from seeing themselves as ocean explorers? What are the barriers to those who do? The second step is to identify ways in which their aspirations can be widened and the barriers removed. Primary Focus will develop a map - a Theory of Change - to take us from the low diversity situation that marine science finds itself in now, to a future where primary school children of all backgrounds recognise what they can offer to marine science, aspire to do so, and can visualise pathways into marine jobs. We have assembled a team that will provide a 360 degree perspective on the problem, including primary school teachers, marine scientists, organisations focussed on marine science and technology education and outreach, a local education authority and representatives of national and international networks of marine researchers and employers. By using questionnaires, circulated to the teaching and research communities through well-established networks, Primary Focus will collate information to build this map. A workshop combining the core team and additional teachers will assemble a draft, making it available for feedback from anyone in those communities once more. In this way, Primary Focus will draw on experience from across backgrounds and the UK to develop a Theory of Change that can achieve its aim.