MATHEMATICS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
STEM EDUCATION IN THE IRISH SCHOOL SYSTEM
10
n The career possibilities for students who
follow a STEM career path should be
highlighted not only to students but also to
parents.
n Produce an integrated National STEM
Education Policy Statement with input
from, and relevance to, all stakeholders
across the continuum of education in
Ireland (primary, secondary and third level).
n Introduce computer science (including
coding) as a Leaving Certificate curriculum
subject. This is critical to address the ICT
skills deficit in Ireland.
n Establish the STEM 2020 Partnership - a
fixed-duration, public-private (enterpriseexchequer)
partnership to create a fund to
support a prioritised set of agreed, specific
initiatives consistent with the
recommendations of this report. This would
entail pooling of resources from enterprise
partners, philanthropy and crowdsourcing
with resource-matching by the exchequer
(DES, DJEI, SFI) over a five-year period. A
fund of €8M per annum for five years,
equally subscribed from public and private
interests, is envisaged.
n Establish STEM education research as a
national research priority with multiannual,
sustained funding commitment
through SFI.
Our aim as a nation should be to ensure that
STEM education in Ireland is of the highest
international quality. Our review has identified
both positive elements and serious deficits in
the current STEM landscape in Ireland. The
positive features are to be found in both
formal (e.g. curricular reform) and informal
education developments, but many are taking
place in an uncoordinated, independent
fashion, rather than as part of an overarching,
coherent, cooperative strategy. On the deficit
side, the highest-level concerns are the
absence of a clearly-articulated STEM
education policy and the levels of performance
attained (in international assessments, for
example). The overall levels of performance
and engagement in STEM subjects are not
good enough if we aim to provide the best for
our nation’s children, and if we wish to sustain
our economic ambitions for the future. A stepchange
in STEM performance and outcomes is
required throughout the educational system if
we are to move our STEM education
performance up to the highest levels.
The focus of this report has been to identify
pathways to achieving that step-change so
that, through implementation of our Proposed
Actions and General Recommendations, the
quality of STEM Education in Ireland will be
enhanced considerably and sustainably.
Achieving this aim will require commitment,
investment and early action, together with
partners across all the primary stakeholders in
both the formal and the informal learning
sectors. It is clear that the most effective
approach will involve a coalition of committed
partners across government departments
(especially DES) and agencies, the enterprise
sector, professional and learned societies,
teachers and communities. In particular, the
enterprise sector has an important role to play
in supporting Government in ensuring the
provision of a high-quality graduate output
aligned with national economic needs.
The STEM Education Review Group proposes
the following Vision statement as an
overarching guide to the actions to be
implemented following publication and
evaluation of this report:
A Vision for STEM Education in Ireland
Our vision is to provide students in Ireland with
a STEM education experience of the highest
international quality; this provision should
underpin high levels of student engagement,
enjoyment, and excellent performance in STEM
disciplines.