PMSEIC 27

The 27th meeting of the Prime Minister’s Science Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) was held on 21 June in Sydney where members gathered for their second meeting of 2013.

The meeting heard a progress report from the Chief Scientist about his National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Strategy.

Also tabled were two final project reports – Engineering Energy: Unconventional Gas Production and STEM: Country Comparisons.

These reports were produced as part of the Securing Australia’s Future program, undertaken on behalf of PMSEIC by the Australian Council of Learned Academies.

The meeting received recommendations developed from the findings contained in these two final project reports.

These recommendations were developed by the Office of the Chief Scientist in consultation with relevant government departments and the expert working groups responsible for the reports.

Relevant departments will respond to the recommendations with an action plan at the next PMSEIC meeting.

The meeting also received a report from the Office of the Chief Scientist – The Threat of Antibiotic Resistance: Building a New Frontline Defence which will be released as an Occasional Paper shortly.

Prior to the meeting, the Strategic Research Priorities to address the societal challenges facing Australia were released by the Prime Minister, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Minister for Science and Research and the Chief Scientist.

The priorities will ensure that Government support for research is adequate in areas that are of immediate and critical importance to Australia and its place in the world.

PMSEIC will reconvene later in the year.

______________________________________________

         Recommendations from the findings of the ACOLA report, Engineering Energy: Unconventional Gas Production

         The full ACOLA report, Engineering Energy: Unconventional Gas Production

         Recommendations from the findings of the ACOLA report STEM: Country Comparisons

         The full ACOLA report STEM: Country Comparisons

______________________________________________

Below we summarise the reports' recommendations

Engineering Energy: Unconventional Gas Production

1. Support the scientific, economic and social research required to facilitate the safe and sustainable development of a new source of natural gas and oil (i.e. from deep shale); including that needed to build social acceptance and effective management regimes and regulatory frameworks.
    

2. a. Encourage the development of an industry-wide code
   of practice for the exploration, production, and impact management of natural gas production from shale. This should include a comprehensive framework for data management, sharing, and communication.
   
   b. Identify the necessary baseline data (geological, hydrological, environmental) to be collected, prior to commencement of exploration and production projects, against which project impacts can be fully and effectively evaluated. Data collection methods must be transparent and the data made publicly available.
   
   c. Identify the parameters and frequency of measurement required to implement an effective industry environmental monitoring regime for the project life-cycle. Monitoring should include, but not be limited to, surface and groundwater quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and seismicity. Independent auditing or some other means of ensuring community confidence will be required.
    

3. a. Assess publicly available data, and identify and negotiate access to industry held data to identify
   knowledge gaps, particularly with respect to estimating economic reserves.
   
   b. Support research into the geological and geophysical aspects of prospective sedimentary basins; particularly basin structure, stress field and lithological characteristics to refine resource exploration models.
   
   c. Support research into the surface and groundwater dynamics of prospective sedimentary basins to better understand the likely impact on water resources from exploration, production and upstream-industry requirements.
   
   d. Implement policy to facilitate public access to geological, geophysical, and environmental data collected during exploration drilling and geophysical surveys.
   
   e. Identify a suitable agency to act as data custodian and support the development of a data base architecture for data storage and dissemination and sample curation that will permit researchers and policymakers to address multidisciplinary questions.
    

4. Through relevant frameworks (e.g. Commonwealth and Council of Australian Governments) build an efficient, transparent and effective regulatory system to achieve a resilient “compact” between the industry and communities.

_________________________________
 

STEM: Country Comparisons: Recommendations

The objectives of the following recommendations are to:

1. Make sure that students in primary school spend sufficient time on science and mathematics.

2. Lift the quality of STEM teaching at all levels of schooling to ensure students understand and are inspired by science and mathematics.

3. Ensure useful, meaningful and high-quality resources are easily accessible to support STEM teaching and learning at all levels of schooling.

4. Increase the number of students studying STEM disciplines to the end of Year 12 and in tertiary education.

5. Understand the demand for STEM skills in the workforce so that we can develop strategies to get the right skills in the right place at the right time. Implementation of these objectives and the following recommendations will require consultation across multiple jurisdictional boundaries.

_______________________________

The Australian Government needs to:

1. Analyse and evaluate cross-portfolio and cross government STEM education initiatives
   
   1.1 Implement a stocktake and evaluation of innovative domestic STEM education initiatives, highlighting duplication, opportunities for coordination and gaps at all three levels of education.
   
   1.2 Compare and contrast Australian pre- and in-service education and resources for STEM teachers with countries that perform highly in STEM.
   
   1.3 Coordinate and communicate findings to the STEM Reference Panel.
   ______________
    

2. I. Grow the pool of STEM informed people in the Australian community
   II. Increase the quantity and improve the quality of the STEM cohort in higher education
   
   2.1 Subject choices are reduced in Year 12, and STEM subjects made compulsory.
   
   2.2 Science teaching time in primary school should be increased from an average of less than three per cent to closer to the European average.
   
   2.3 High standards are expected from all students by building resilience and confidence in solving maths problems through effective primary school curricula and remedial programs in mathematics.
   
   2.4 New and innovative strategies are established to grow the proportion of women, indigenous and low SES and disadvantaged students in STEM education and occupations.
   
   2.5 Performance in numeracy and science is measured via the National Assessment Program (including reporting of assessments against minimum, proficient and advanced standards) as wellas international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS to identify areas for improvement and track progress toward the goal of being in the top five countries internationally in mathematics and science by 2025.
   
   2.6 An agreed target is established (across the industry, education and government sectors) and associated incentives introduced for an increased percentage of students in both secondary and tertiary STEM education in Australia.
   
   2.7 Significant prestigious STEM-focused schools and VET Centres of Excellence are established and formal linkages between schools, VET and Higher Education developed to encourage STEM.
   
   2.8 STEM prerequisite requirements are re-introduced for relevant university programs.
   
   2.9 Strategies are developed and implemented for reducing attrition rates across higher education STEM courses such as Engineering, ICT, Mathematics and Sciences - especially where they are higher than average.
   ____________
    

3. Improve STEM education and awareness through development, streamlining and implementation of better teacher training and resources
   
   3.1 Requirements and incentives are implemented for STEM teachers at both junior and senior secondary levels to support implementation of both the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and the Accreditation of Initial Teacher Education Programs: Standards and Procedures in Australia.
   
   3.2 The quality of, and access to, professional development and performance feedback, is improved through supporting the adoption of the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework and the Charter for Professional Learning of Teachers and School Leaders in Australia.
   
   3.3 Career progression requirements and incentives for continuous (discipline and pedagogy) professional development for teachers is implemented in school and tertiary educational institutions.
   
   3.4 A national program is developed to train specialist mathematics and science teachers to teach in all primary schools.
   ____________
    

4. Facilitate a national approach to STEM teaching and learning that meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
   
   4.1 Successful and new STEM activities are identified and implemented through a national coalition approach involving school, VET, higher education, and business.
   
   4.2 Culturally responsive resources and teacher professional learning support are developed.
   ____________
    

5. Identify the skill base that employers require from STEM graduates in the workforce now and in the future
   
   5.1 Introduce a process by which the skills required of STEM graduates (from VET and higher education) in the labour force is identified through consultation and surveys.
   
   5.2 In partnership with industry, compare and contrast the current and projected future requirements of STEM skills in the workforce with current workforce arrangements and forecast STEM skills through the education pipeline.
   
   5.3 In partnership with industry, develop and implement a comprehensive Work Integrated Learning Policy. It will ensure that students complete work-related projects or placements throughout higher education. At least 50 per cent of STEM undergraduate students should complete a work-related placement or project during their course.
   ____________
    

6. Develop a STEM Reference Panel reporting to the relevant Federal portfolio ministers, through the Chief Scientist, to report on STEM provision and participation in Australia -- National coordination will make a significant contribution to the enhancement of STEM education, participation, relevance and performance in Australia - as it has been shown to do in many other countries.
   
   The STEM Reference Panel will undertake the following activities:

• Identify and compile data and potential gaps concerning participation and performance in STEM education (e.g. teacher workforce data) and report annually where appropriate.
   

• Prioritise factors contributing to the lack of STEM Skills in Australia, their dependencies and their interrelationships.
   

• Develop targets, an action plan, an evaluation frame work, and communications strategy to address these priorities.
   

• Coordinate and network policies and programs designed to enhance approaches to STEM teaching and participation.
   

• Enhance students’ knowledge about STEM jobs and professions.
   

• Develop an interdepartmental and intergovernmental STEM education committee across DEEWR, DIISRTE, and State Education Departments.