The Joint Committee on Education, Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science has published its report on The Future of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

Speaking ahead of the Launch of the Report, Committee Chair Deputy Paul Kehoe TD said “The Irish education system should give students the confidence to enter the wider world with the life skills to progress to whatever path in life they choose to take. Ensuring students have full access to STEM subjects from Pre School and onwards will give them unrivalled opportunities as they face the future.

Young people are our future. The future is uncharted territory given the enormous challenges we all face in terms of the Environment and Climate Change; Geo Political Threats; Digital Technology including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and so on.

However, those with a willingness to embrace STEM as an integral part of their learning journey will have enormous opportunities to make meaningful contributions to our country and on the international stage too. All students must be given equal access to these opportunities. Diversity and difference should be respected and, indeed, celebrated in Irish Education. All barriers must be broken down and all students must be given the resources they need to engage in STEM.”

Read the full report

Below are the Ten Key Report Recommendations, listed by order in which they appear in the main body of the Report. They are of equal value.

• Responsibility for all Early Years Education should be transferred from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to the Minister for Education to ensure, inter alia, that STEM education is an integral part of the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE).
• A Mandatory Module on integrated STEM Education should be provided in all Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses, and to all Early Years Education, Primary Teachers as part of their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) These models should be geared towards teaching and learning that supports inquiry, experimentation and higher-order thinking and skills in the STEM areas.
• The National Children’s Science Centre should receive the full support of Government with a view to an early launch in Q4 2023. Once opened, it is recommended: • The Centre receives Ring Fenced Funding on a Multi Annual Basis from the Department of Education to ensure it is adequately resourced to fulfil its mandate. • The Centre liaises with the Department of Education Inspectorate so that it can play a central role in supporting STEM in the Primary and Post Primary School Curriculum. • The Department of Education issues a Circular to all Primary and Post Primary Principals with a view to ensuring students visit the Centre as part of the STEM Curriculum.
• The Department of Education should publish revised specifications for Physics, Chemistry and Biology at Senior Cycle by the end of 2023. A key priority should be that the revised syllabus for each subject is far more detailed with comprehensive instructions for teachers. The Committee recommends that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) reviews the proposed design of the new specifications to ensure teachers are properly supported and students are taught to the highest professional standards.
• An Expert Working Group on Teacher Supply for STEM Subjects and Computer Science should be established by the Department of Education in Quarter 4, 2023. The Group should be chaired by an external expert and comprise teachers, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), Relevant Teacher Training Institutions, Subject Matter Experts and senior officials from the Departments of Education and Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
• The Department of Education should develop a National Programme for High Performing Students2 in Primary and Post Primary Schools to enable them to reach their full potential. The Department should liaise with the Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI) in Ireland at Dublin City University (DCU) in this regard with a view to agreeing on a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that would include, inter alia, Training for Teachers in Programme Delivery. The Programme should be rolled out nationwide so that all relevant students have equal access to it.
• An Expert Working Group on Pathways from Further Education to Higher Education should be established by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Group should be chaired by an External Expert and be comprised of Senior Department and Higher Education Authority (HEA) Officials, the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA), SOLAS, Industry Representatives and Staff Unions. The Group should identify current opportunities and barriers to progression from Further to Higher Education and establish how to develop links between both sectors that allow for more seamless progression.
• The Higher Education Authority (HEA) should provide ring fenced funding to the Technological Universities (TU)s, as necessary, to ensure there is sufficient physical capacity and lecturer capability to deliver on the increased numbers of Craft and New Generation Apprentices. To this end: • The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Emergency should provide Short Term Funding to bridge the gap. • From 2023, the Department should provide Multi Annual Funding through a new Apprenticeship Fund. • The Higher Education Authority (HEA) should commence a Review of the Craft and New Generation Apprenticeship Building Requirements by Q3, 2022, with the aim of delivering the buildings required to ensure Apprentices are educated to the highest international standards within a 3-year period.
• The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Education should establish a Consolidated System for the compilation of disaggregate Data Collation and Measurement on the researchers to include gender, disability, ethnic minority and economic status. The data should also record the nature of individual research being undertaken and the proposed outcomes. This data should be used to inform the development of educational policy on an ongoing basis.
• The Department of Education should publish an Action Plan to implement the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 by Q4 2023.