Teaching the scientists of tomorrow

Since arriving in the UK as a young scientist from Australia, I have discovered that many of the attitudes and problems associated with science education are common to both countries. Government teachers and academic staff of both countries campaign to entice more young people, particularly women, to choose a career within science. Science appears to be a more prominent part of the curriculum in Australia at the equivalent of GCSE and AS/A2 levels. However, my perception is that students tend to see it as a stepping stone to university courses in other disciplines (e.g. medicine, dentistry and physiotherapy) and have little perception of the career opportunities open to graduate scientists.