The Campaign

The campaign to change the prospective future of Design & Technology is being run by the Design And Technology Association and has already gained thousands of supporters - including various famous faces noted for their contributions to design and engineering on a  global scale. Most importantly though, it also has the leadership and support of not only those in the education sector, but also the business and industry community, all of whom recognise the importance and value of the subject in schools "because it teaches skills which they desperately need and which are in short supply".

To learn more about the Design And Technology Association, visit their website at http://www.data.org.uk/. To learn more about their operation of this campaign, visit their bespoke website at http://www.believeindandt.org.uk/

Recently, HME Technology chairman Martyn Hale contacted the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team to inform them of the threat facing D&T and asked them how they felt about it - and unsurprisingly, very strong:

"For most of us, if we stop and look around our homes and workplaces, it is obvious that technology defines most of who we are and what we do; from the clothes on our backs to the vehicles in which we travel; from the floor on which we walk to the equipment used to treat our ailments. All of these items need to be designed and manufactured. Without a profound understanding of the science and technology involved in producing and applying advanced machines and materials, none of this would be possible. It is easy to take for granted that we will automatically be surrounded by things that enable such "givens" as instant global comrnunication, high speed travel, efficient and durable clothing, and nutritional food.

Like many other technology-driven organisations, we at Red Bull Racing rely on a steady stream of good, young engineers and scientists. Should this flow be reduced in any way, or even stopped, the implications on our industry would be extremely detrimental. Since we share many technical disciplines with industry sectors like aerospace, automotive, defence, industrial chemistry and the production of medical and manufacturing technology, we must assume that research and development in these areas would decline as well.

The thought of Britain being anywhere but at the cutting edge of scientific and technological development doesn't bear thinking about. This core competence is in our DNA and forms the foundation for our proud and much admired standing in the global marketplace.

Please don't take these vital attributes for granted. Therefore, we urge you to retain the subject of Design and Technology on the secondary school curriculum."

The benefits of having large organisations such as these supporting the campaign are clear. Not only does it add much more gravitas when presenting a petition or case as to why the subject should be saved, but they are also capable of spreading the word of the issue to a much broader spectrum - particularly brand companies such as Gu and Paul Smith, both of whom are able to approach a consumer market as apposed to "subject specialists" more likely to be approached by the likes of the Design Council, for example.

Shown below is a small example of the supporters personally backing the campaign.