Victorian STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) teaching needs reform to avoid future workforce crisis

A new report urges the Victorian Government to enact urgent reforms or risk falling innovation and productivity in the years to come.

The report – Victorian STEM investment critical for driving innovation – from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), the Royal Society of Victoria (RSV), and the Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria (STAV), warns of a crisis in science and mathematics education. Evidenced by declining participation rates in senior secondary science and mathematics courses, Victoria is not producing enough STEM-skilled professionals to meet the state’s current and future needs and aspirations.

The three organisations have put forward a four-point plan to make STEM skills attractive and accessible for more Victorian students, including cohorts less likely to pursue senior secondary or tertiary STEM education.

The organisations recommend:

• elevating the status of STEM in the Victorian curriculum, including providing all schools with high quality resources to best deliver science education from the Foundation years to Year 10;
• supporting the development and delivery of specialised, practice-based resources for teacher professional development;
• increasing access to hands-on learning and exposure to STEM careers in schools; and
• uplifting recognition and career pathways for high-performing STEM teachers and their schools.

Existing initiatives such as ATSE’s STELR and STAV’s Science Talent Search are highlighted as supporting hands-on STEM learning.

ATSE, RSV and STAV have presented these recommendations to the Victorian Government, as well as to the Coalition’s and the Greens’ education portfolio holders.

“Our education system is the foundation of our skilled workforce,” says RSV CEO Mike Flattley, “so a failure to invest in our science teachers and classrooms is a failure to back Victorian kids as future leaders in our nation’s knowledge-based economy.”

While the Victorian Parliament recently concluded its inquiry into the State Education System in Victoria, only one recommendation of that report mentioned maths and science education, urging the Department of Education to review whole-school materials and lesson plans for core subjects. The report also highlights teacher workforce shortages and the need to review current strategies to target this problem.

“STAV recognises that the drive to foster, engage and stimulate students of Science for real world application requires continuing development of scientific literacy across the community,” says STAV President Alexandra Abela, “As the key source of expertise, inspiration and guidance to students, science teachers deserve greater agency in the creation of and decisions around quality professional learning opportunities and resources that are responsive and relevant to emerging needs.”

“We cannot continue to rely on immigration to provide Victoria with the engineers we need in the future. We need to support our science teachers to encourage all Victorian students to consider a career in STEM,” says ATSE CEO Kylie Walker.

ATSE has previously published a report on tackling the STEM skills crisis nationally.