STEM Report Released in South Australia
The relative decline in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) capability and literacy of South Australian students will undermine efforts to achieve the targets of South Australia’s Strategic Plan.
This warning is a clear outcome of a report released by Engineers Australia South Australia Division entitled Technically Speaking: confronting the challenges facing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and promotion.
While acknowledging that South Australia has a comprehensive and inclusive education system that performs well under international comparisons, the report draws focus on the need to mobilise schools to improve the STEM capability and literacy of students.
The report identifies five major issues and puts forward a series of recommendations to address each of these. The five main issues are:
Ø The shortage of skilled engineers is impacting on the ability of organisation to undertake and complete projects;
Ø The use of “science” as an umbrella term for STEM including engineering, which masks the function of engineering and the career opportunities available;
Ø The lack of training in, and commitment to, STEM among primary school teachers;
Ø The need for substantially increased STEM teaching resources and hands-on practical experience in secondary schools; and
Ø The lack of coordination of the many STEM resources available to ensure that comprehensive, relevant, and hands-on STEM education is delivered in South Australia.
Immediate Past Division President Bill Filmer, notes in the report that it is “no exaggeration to say that the relative decline in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics capability and literacy of South Australian school students is a very serious situation that requires decisive remedial action by the government. There is an urgent need for reprioritization in schools, staffing and curricula to overcome this problem to enable South Australia to be more competitive in the knowledge-based economy.”
The report also recognises that the government is unable to adequately tackle this problem alone. Effective partnerships need to be established to support and facilitate the work done by community and professional groups to enhance STEM education in South Australia. For its part, Engineers Australia stands ready to assist the government in whatever capacity possible to enhance STEM education across the State.
