"Don't Rush the Science Curriculum", Says ATSE. (April 4, 2011)

The April 2011 issue of  Australasian Science carries a one page write-up by two fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) -- Professor Emeritus Lesley Parker, Chair of the ATSE Education Forum and Dr Alan Finkel, Chancellor of Monash University and a former Director of ATSE -- which pleads for the renovation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Australia's schools.

The full article is available online. Here are several excerpts:

Australia needs a significant and immediate investment in STEM teachers as we face a critical period in the development and implementation of the new Australian Curriculum. The investment in teachers is necessary to compensate for previous underinvestment.

Much of the past focus has been on motivating students to pursue STEM studies and careers. Hundreds of initiatives have been implemented but the impact of all these efforts has been frustratingly little. Enrolments in the so-called enabling subjects – physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology – appear to have stabilised at a low level...

STEM education researchers agree that the teacher is the most important factor in influencing student learning. The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers... the only way to improve instruction in STEM is to ensure that teachers have adequate opportunity to acquire essential STEM content and the requisite skills to teach that content.

...the new Australian Curriculum... will be implemented between 2011 and 2013... With such a short timeline, implementation issues are not being addressed.

Responsible, modern curriculum development demands the preparation of a detailed plan to ensure that... implementation and evaluation issues are addressed, with adequate budgetary support.

Professor Parker and Dr Finkel conclude:

This situation highlights the need for a radical re-think of the pre-service and in-service education of STEM teachers, including better budgets, teacher training collaboration with engineers and scientists, inducements for science graduates to teach, refocusing tertiary prerequisites to push more secondary students to choose STEM courses, and rewards for STEM teachers who upgrade their qualifications.

But is anyone of consequence in either the government or opposition listening?