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The study of science is becoming the preserve of "posh kids" from private schools amid warnings of a shortage of specialist teachers in state education.
Universities are increasingly relying on students from independent schools to fill science, maths and engineering degrees, according to research.
Author and TV presenter Simon Singh called for a national drive to recruit more teachers who will excite pupils with practical experiments and promote science as a potentially lucrative career.
He warned the British economy would fall behind rivals such as India unless the decline in science education is reversed.
Dr Singh, author of bestseller Fermat's Last Theorem and presenter of Channel 4's The Science Of Secrecy, said the decline was most acute in physics. The number of teenagers taking the subject at A-level every year has fallen by a third since 1990.
Speaking in Liverpool at the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference of 250 independent school heads, he said: "The data shows a huge drop in the number of people doing A-level physics.
"The number of people taking physics has halved since I did it in 1982 and there is no real sign of any recovery whatsoever.
"The decline is almost entirely in the state sector. Physics in the independent sector is fairly healthy. You end up with physics just being for posh kids because that's where the subject is being taught with enthusiasm."
Dr Singh said recent figures showed fewer than half of state schools entered at least one pupil for GCSEs in the three separate sciences - biology, physics and chemistry - rather than combined science courses.
"Half the schools in the country seem to be incapable of putting a single child through three sciences at GCSE," he said.
"The people that create Google, Yahoo and the new technologies of the future, the innovators are more likely to come from physics than media studies degrees. Yet at the key point at which people make their decisions, physics has been throttled."
He was speaking as research commissioned by HMC revealed the extent to which the leading universities depend on privately educated students to fill science, engineering, maths and technology courses.
The report from Exeter University's Professor William Richardson said the study of science-related subjects, along with economics and languages, was concentrated in the most academic universities.
He said: "In the 30 leading universities there is particular reliance on independent schools in sustaining undergraduate study in languages, engineering and economics."
Andrew Grant, headmaster of St Albans School and Chairman of HMC, said: "Without well-prepared students from independent schools, the study of subjects recognised to be vital to the future of the nation would be in serious jeopardy in many of our leading universities."
Reader views (11)
Amusing photograph accompanies this piece; you do know that most state schools have disposed of their Van der Graaf Generators under the 'elf and safety, and a student would certainly not be allowed to touch one whilst in operation.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
When my friend in Kerala was in between University jobs, she taught in an Engineering College for a few months. She was stunned at the sheer numbers taking Engineering and Science degrees and found it was replicated through-out India. India certainly is looking to the future.
- Jennifer, Guildford
People qualified to teach sciences have no shortage of other career options. Nevertheless, some used to go into teaching science, because it was a satisfying and rewarding job.
Today, a teacher has to deal with ill-disciplied and violent students with his hands tied behind his back, forever in fear of what one groundless allegation of "inappropriate behaviour" can do. And after that, there's no longer any freedom to teach the subject in any meaningful or rewarding way! The national curriculum has replaced imparting an understanding and love of the subject, by ritual memorization and regurgitation of a set of disconnected and meaningless factoids, as dull as ditchwater for students and teachers alike.
This is why few scientists go into teaching, and the few that still do choose to teach in private schools where there is still some job-satisfaction to be found.
- Nigel, London
I once talked to a headteacher of my local school. He thought...
2 X 3 - 4 = -1
- Tobin, Andover
Could this be another sign that the UK is slipping into a new 'dark age' where we forget some of the things with which we used to be familiar.
- John, London
The government's obsession with league tables has created this: schools would rather kids did soft options such as "business studies", "media studies" etc instead of hard subjects like languages or sciences because they realise that unless they increase the proportion of better exam results they will suffer.
- David, London
This is no shocking news at all as this has been going on for a few years. Blairs mantra of education was a load of tosh and we have got balls in charge now. We had our 3 older children in state schools and we could see it deteriorating daily. We paid for private tutors for maths, science, spanish and got them through. Our son had a maths teacher who had to take her GCSE thrice to pass her maths! Our youngest son is now in a private school, we find it very very hard to pay the fees but the older 3 are all contributing towards it and what a differnce in education. I feel so sad for our youth. Now our youngest son will be discriminated because he's gone to private school, by our universities as its only wealthy people go there, so thinks our government. We know many in our situation and the school has been wonderful to lots of parents offering bursaries and scholarships. If you have a talented child apply to these schools for scholarships and bursaries, its always worth a try. We have been advised that our son is brilliant in science and to consider medicine, something we never thought as my spouse and I never went to uni. What an achievement.
- Johnathan, brent
This is a real indictment of our Government. I don't believe things would be any better under the Tories, it would take massive investment to bring our schools up to scratch. I think we'll just have to get used to Britain not being a leading nation anymore.
- Sue R, London
Actually, science is just for kids that want to think about solving problems. The blunt truth is that England really needs top quality scientists and engineers at all levels to get its way out of the economic mess we are in.
Germany holds these people in high regard whilst in England such people were and still are vilified as being of the lower classes and intelligence levels and office jobs are seen as the pinnacle of career achievement.
The reality is that many of the worlds most useful and used inventions were created in the UK and the income to this nation from intellectual property rights ( that’s income that just rolls in for other people using your patented ideas) is potentially enormous.
Anybody can be a great scientist and inventor if they have a passion, that passion is created at school and apprenticeship level by the hands on nurturing and involvement of people who have the potential to see a different solution to a problem. If you want to see this in practice see challenges to build a project out of scrapyard material, you don't need to be posh, just wealthy. Millions of radio amateurs have active developing new methods of communication, stretching what is possible to the limit. Home astronomers push forward the boundaries with their limitations.
Anybody can do this - go out get stuck in and you will find that opportunities and ideas will open up before you.
- James, City of London
UHH =- I thought that we had been paying for "Education, Education and Education". In case this Government has not noticed, we need scientists for our economy.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties
I think the key phrase is "state education". Why would this vile Labour government want to introduce a variable into the educational formulae that would result in lower grades and fewer passes?
They have already dumbed down the standards in education to make sure as many people pass with as high a grade as possible. Looks good on paper.
If you start educating people properly they might see you for what you are and not vote for you.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
