Dainton Report
The Dainton Report, issued in March 1968 and also called The Swing away from Science, was a British government study of secondary education and how students move into higher education in science and technology. It was produced by Frederick Dainton, then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, as chair of the Dainton Committee in the Department for Education and Science. The committee was formed in 1965 by the Council for Scientific Policy.
The report found fewer people were entering science and engineering at university. In sixth form (ages 16–18), about 40,000 students studied science in 1964, but this was predicted to fall to around 30,000 by 1971, even as total sixth-form numbers would rise from about 107,000 to 130,000. Only about one-fifth of sixth-form science students were female.
In school, the share of students choosing science dropped from around 42% in 1962 to 31% in 1967, and was expected to fall to 25% by 1971. University admissions to science fell from 45.9% in 1962 to 40.6% in 1967, while social sciences were rapidly increasing.
The report aimed to strengthen science, technology, and engineering in education and society, and to increase the supply of scientists and technologists. It argued that the problem came from immature and misinformed choices made by 13 and 14-year-olds, who often made premature and unfavourable decisions about science careers. Schools were seen as pushing students at age 13–14 to choose between arts or sciences, creating irrevocable paths and discouraging those who might enjoy science. The report noted that heavy factual content at age 14 helped deter students from science.
A key finding was that 14 was a crucial cut-off point for studying science at school. The Schools Council recommended that university entrance should require two GCE A-levels with four elective courses chosen by individual schools. Universities were asked to respond with their views later in 1968.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:55 (CET).