BRINGING AGRICULTURE into the classroom has been found to improve science-based learning, through real world examples.

A recent YouGov survey highlighted a substantial skills gap in careers based around Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), with one fifth of the teachers who responded struggling to teach any science during the week.

An NFU report has demonstrated that farming and agriculture can be used effectively in the classroom to deliver STEM lessons and could help engage children at a crucial age and show them their potential for STEM-based careers.

This played out in the survey which showed 89% of respondents believed teaching about farming at primary school is important, while 78% said they thought their classes would learn more about STEM subjects in a non-classroom setting.

English NFU president Minette Batters said: “Farming provides an incredibly innovative and exciting way to promote STEM learning in a way the younger generation might not have seen before and we have spent time working with schools to help teachers deliver all-important STEM subjects using real-life farming examples.”

A quarter of a million students participated in the ENFU’s live lessons.

“We have shown how teaching STEM through real-life, practical situations, that are completely relevant to the curriculum, can deliver so many benefits for children’s education and future career opportunities,” Ms Batters continued. “This clearly demonstrates why the Government should recognise the role of agriculture in inspiring STEM learning, to help connect pupils with the country’s farming heritage, to build their understanding of food and how it’s produced, and to help promote STEM as the route to a viable and exciting career, not just within agriculture but across the whole economy.”