Thomas Gould
Ceist:19. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to increase the uptake of third-level STEM courses by girls and women. [49850/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 13 October 2021
Ceisteanna (19)
Freagraí scríofa
Maintaining and developing a strong supply of STEM graduates is critical to Ireland’s growth as a world-class centre of innovation and research. Ensuring that we have good gender balance in STEM is a key part of meeting this supply. It is also a worthwhile policy goal in its own right, given all that we know about the importance of diversity in STEM, as well as our desire to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to pursue courses of study that will interest and engage them, and give them the skills to pursue a productive career.
This is an issue which requires action at all stages of the educational and career journey. Getting a good gender balance in the higher education system is an issue that depends on people being engaged and interested in STEM at a much earlier stage in their education.
The STEM Education Policy Statement was published in 2017 and seeks to raise awareness and interest in STEM. The first pillar of the strategy is "Nurturing learner engagement and participation" and focuses on increasing the uptake of STEM related subjects for learners of all backgrounds, ability and gender. The strategy targets a 40% increase in the number of females taking STEM subjects for Leaving Certificate
On 18th May Minister Foley and I announced a new partnership to support education and public engagement in STEM. This partnership contributes funding to projects under the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme. This programme aims to support effective interventions in early STEM education, help students engage with science subjects at an early age and foster interest in STEM careers especially among young women. This includes programmes which support awareness of STEM careers including by role models.
More widely, the promotion of gender equality in higher education is also critical. This is an area that I have prioritised, including through support for initiatives including the National Gender Equality Dashboard for Higher Education Institutions; the Athena SWAN Charter and the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative which is increasing the number of women involved in decision making roles in higher education.