Scaling STEM Education in India: The Need, Government & Corporate Initiatives, and Learnings from the Field

This article is authored by Nilanjana Lahiri Lahri, who works as CEO’s Fellow at CSRBOX .

Scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important in the 21st century, as we face the benefits and challenges of globalization and a thriving knowledge-based economy. To keep up with this new information-based and technology-dependent world, India is scaling up the innovation ladder with initiatives like Make in India - Startup India, Digital India, etc. These constant efforts have propelled India to be the third-largest startup ecosystem globally and one of the world’s largest STEM job markets. The demand for STEM jobs in India has increased by 44% in the last 5 years. STEM skills will be a requirement for 80% of the jobs created in the next decade. To meet the increasing demands for STEM professionals in India's rapidly growing technology, engineering, and manufacturing sectors, it becomes imperative to offer STEM education.?

STEM in Schools?

The introduction of STEM education should be done at an early age. STEM in schools will help children in building a strong foundation of knowledge, equip them with problem-solving and critical thinking skills and help develop innovative thinking. These skills will foster confidence among students and encourage them to find solutions to the challenges faced by the country. Furthermore, entrepreneurship can be promoted as students may leverage the skills acquired through STEM education to develop impactful and innovative startups in the future.

Several government initiatives are focused towards promoting STEM in schools. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is one of them. It emphasises shifting science education from rote learning to experiment-based learning and seeks to reduce the school curriculum to its core essentials to make space for critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.?

Another flagship STEM initiative by the Government of India is the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL). The ATLs are working towards providing a flexible environment for school students to learn innovation skills and sculpt ideas through activities. The ATLs are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, such as 3D printers, robotics kits, and advanced electronics, to provide hands-on learning experiences and enable young students to create innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Corporates stepping up in STEM

CSR activities that are geared towards promoting STEM education in schools are supplementing government initiatives. Several of these projects are working to support the development of STEM infrastructure in the country. The aim is to fund STEM education programs in schools by providing resources for building STEM labs and running internships, hackathons, coding events, competitions, mentorship programs, etc. to instil practical experience and exposure in STEM fields.

Corporates are also recognizing and addressing the need for inclusivity and diversity in STEM education. Various initiatives have been implemented to increase access to STEM among girls and students from underprivileged communities.

The synergy between the government and private sector can build a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem for STEM education and entrepreneurship in India, ultimately driving economic growth and societal progress in the country.

Is it easy to design STEM Programs in Schools?

Schools have a formal structure with a defined curriculum, established educational programs and regular attendance by a large number of children. However, designing effective STEM programs in schools is not always easy, even with a formal structure. STEM programs need to be designed in such a way that it supplements the existing curriculum instead of trying to replace it. It needs to have an innovative approach that goes beyond traditional teaching methodology.

To ensure the same, resources need to be invested in procuring STEM models and relevant software, setting up labs, capacity building of the teachers who will deliver the program and creating opportunities for students to grow. These key factors will determine the effectiveness of the STEM program.

Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to assess a CSR initiative in STEM education which was effectively designed for schools.?

Learnings from the field

For the assessment, I visited a few schools in Mumbai and nearby suburbs which were selected for the program intervention. The schools were located in slums/underdeveloped areas. The majority of the students in these schools were from low-income families and first-generation learners. The program was a great opportunity for them to access quality STEM education at no additional expenditure and develop skills relevant to their future growth and development.?

Several CSR programs are not sustainable in the long run. This is because they just focus on the upgradation of STEM infrastructure and not on developing the overall capacities of the management/teachers to carry forward the results of the project even after the corporate exits from it. However, this program took a holistic approach to ensure sustainability.?

The intervention was not just limited to infrastructural upgradation and the building of STEM labs. Recruitment and training of STEM mentors were done so that they could independently spearhead STEM initiatives and induct new teachers joining the schools. Intense training and capacity building of teachers was done on activity-based teaching so that teachers could use innovative and engaging methods of teaching. Several STEM opportunities (workshops, science fairs, robotics competitions at IIT Bombay, etc.) were arranged for the students so that they could benefit from this exposure, learn from peers and develop confidence and leadership qualities.

The program also used simple and inexpensive STEM kits and models which had a low cost of repair in case of damage/wear and tear. Thus, even if the corporate exited from the project, the schools could still easily replace the tools at a low cost. The tools were lightweight and easy to assemble and reassemble. Hence they could be easily stored in a compact way whenever not in use. Thus, the challenge of space-constraint in these schools was also addressed.

The success of the program lay in the fact that it was able to bring a positive change in behaviour among the students and parents towards STEM education. STEM, otherwise perceived as a “difficult” subject, has become easy for these students. The students mentioned that even though they had low interest in science and maths, after the program intervention they looked forward to these classes every day. The traditional science and maths classes had become more enjoyable and engaging with activity-based learning. An active interest of the students coupled with effective teaching methods improved the understanding and retention of concepts. This in turn improved the learning outcomes of the students greatly. The benefits of STEM were not limited to the improvement of grades and attendance, the students were also showing self-initiatives in studying at home, researching STEM concepts, developing STEM working models (WIFI-controlled robocars, drones, model waste treatment plant, etc), and participating in STEM-related opportunities.

Encouraged by the possibilities of STEM learning, the majority of the students wanted to pursue careers in STEM (mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology, environmental engineering, etc.). Parents were very happy with the positive change the program was bringing in their children. Perceiving the vast opportunities for their children to grow, create a name for themselves and have an improved quality of life, the parents were also very supportive of the higher STEM education of their children.

Do you want to implement STEM education in schools?

If you want to implement a STEM program in schools but with an innovative approach, do check out the STEM for Bharat Program https://bharatcares.org/Stem-for-Bharat

Meet the Author:

Nilanjana Lahiri has done her MTech in Technology and Development from IIT Bombay, during which she was selected to present her research at the University of Oxford. She is the CEO’s Fellow at CSRBOX. Her work includes client communication, managing and leading various Impact Assessment/M&E projects, impact advisory, etc. Nilanjana has earlier worked with UNICEF, the University of California Berkeley, and various State Governments on managing implementation programs, monitoring and evaluation, research and data analysis, project documentation, policy recommendations, etc. Nilanjana loves watching football, travelling, and listening to music.