MATHEMATICS

Appendix V: Report on STEMERG public consultation.
Introduction
On April 17th, 2014, the Royal Irish Academy hosted a Dialogue on STEM education in Ireland. Invited
speakers delivered presentations that tied into the STEM education Review Committee’s terms of
reference, and the audience was encouraged to ask questions and raise comments. This report
summarises main messages from the talks.
Setting the context for the dialogue, Prof. Brian MacCraith, chair of the STEM Education Review Group
and President of Dublin City University, spoke about the need to encourage literacy and understanding in
STEM. “We have a responsibility as educators in fostering deep knowledge in the STEM space,” he said.
“We cannot look to a flourishing economy and society without looking to STEM. For the major challenges
facing society [such as ageing, climate change] we need a scientifically literate community.”
Prof. MacCraith said Ireland wanted to be “best in class” but that there was still a way to go, and he
emphasised the importance of dialogue for the work of the Committee. “Today is a critical process for us
in gathering viewpoints,” he said. “This is primarily about listening to you.”
The day-long event was structured around the Group’s five terms of reference, and several major
discussion points emerged.
Teacher preparation for STEM
Entry requirements for primary teacher training was a strong focus of discussion, with some calling for an
honours grade requirement in mathematics. While students can currently qualify for teacher training
with a D3 grade at ordinary level in the Leaving Cert, the vast majority of entrants come in with higher
grades. However, even those students starting initial teacher education with higher grades may not have
a secure relationship with maths.
The low entry requirement highlights the relative perception of importance maths as a subject
requirement for teaching compared to, say English or Irish, which need higher grades for entry.
But there was also concern that raising the bar for maths could exclude people who would make good
teachers.
The balance between teacher training and STEM subject specialism was also up for discussion. While the
need for teaching skills is unquestionable, there were also calls for more training in STEM subjects in
initial teacher education.
Many people with PhD-level training in a STEM subject are not automatically eligible to qualify for initial
teacher training. Relaxing the restrictions and making entry more accessible for STEM practitioners could
help to address the shortage of STEM teachers, but this needs to be grounded in standards.
Supporting/enhancing current cohort of STEM teachers
Industry can contribute to STEM-education initiatives, and while there is much focus on links with multinationals,
the potential contributions of SMEs must not be overlooked.
In industry there are skills and the will to contribute to education, but the engagement needs direction,
and enterprise and educators need to learn to speak the same language. However there are also
STEM EDUCATION IN THE IRISH SCHOOL SYSTEM
67