STEM Education for a Future Ready Society
Preparing for Tomorrow
In order to achieve meaningful development of our country, constant advancement of science and technology capabilities is a must. Skilled scientists, engineers and others drive the technology development that allows the nation to maintain its competitive edge in the global marketplace and improve the well-being of its citizens.?
However, the number of competent professionals in the science and technology fields are lacking. Many young and bright minds steer clear of higher education or careers in these areas.? A large number of schools in the country are unable to afford basic laboratory facilities. Many of the private schools have lab facilities; however, they tend to be poorly equipped and practical experience is missing. Science is transacted in a boring fashion, allowing little room for original thinking and innovation. It is vital that interest in science is kindled and nurtured through the school years because it is from the school system that our future scientists and technologists will emerge.? Promoting lifelong, rigorous, inquiry-based education in both formal and informal settings to improve our citizens’ understanding of science is needed for our nation’s economic and social well-being.
Global challenges such as climate change, food security, poverty, pollution, water and sanitation, clean energy require new solutions: those based on novel and sustainable technologies, and innovative approaches. The future generations need to be equipped with unique skill sets to be able to address these challenges.?
If we continue to rely on the conventional education system, children of today will not have the required skills to get a job or thrive in the real world. STEM education is a way to respond to the rapid change in market trends and desirable skills in the workforce as well as to equip children for facing the challenges of tomorrow.?
When faced with real life challenges, abilities to do mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc. as taught in school, are not tested individually. The ability to apply learnings from these subjects together is necessary for problem solving. This is where?STEM education?comes into the picture.
What is STEM Education?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It is an educational approach that integrates all these subjects. Presently, these subjects are taught in isolation although they are all interlinked. As a result, students are often unable to apply the concepts learned to actual problems, lowering their productivity or understandability and hence implementation. This is a paradigm shift from traditional education, which vitally lacks in hands-on learning, to an education that is much better and deeper.
STEM is an interdisciplinary approach based on hands-on learning, where students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in settings where they can connect their classroom to the world around them. This helps them when dealing with real-life situations and encourages them to apply their learnings to create, innovate and discover new things.?
STEM education encourages children to experiment, make mistakes and learn from their own experiences to reach correct outcomes, rather than relying on textbook learning. It increases their curiosity and makes the learning process fun, relevant and lasting. Critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, inquiry and project-based learning are the keystones in STEM education. Special efforts need to be made to transform our education from standard traditional learning to experiential STEM based learning.?
Our national priorities are also focused on developing children into holistic individuals, equipped with crucial 21st century skills, as part of a futuristic, prosperous, inclusive and developed society, distinguished by a human-centric approach at its core. This is clearly reflected at the highest level; in the National Education Policy (NEP 2020); 5th National Science Technology & Innovation Policy (STIP) and theme of India’s G20 presidency this year.?
National Education Policy 2020
The NEP 2020 recommends transformation and reinvigoration of the education system in order to respond to the requirements of fast-changing, knowledge-based societies while taking into account the diversities existing in India.?
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The thrust of curriculum and pedagogy reform will be to move the education system from rote learning towards real understanding and learning how to learn; and create holistic and complete individuals equipped with key 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, scientific temper, communication, collaboration, multilingualism, problem solving, digital literacy, etc. Emphasis has been placed upon conducting of teaching and learning in a more interactive manner; encouraging questions, and regular integration of fun, creative, collaborative, and exploratory activities in classroom sessions for students to obtain deeper and more experiential learning.
The policy has a multi-disciplinary, value-based approach focusing on holistic education with special emphasis on skill development to improve the employability. The NEP 2020 is very much aligned with the global practices and allows students to build their own degree by choosing a diverse range of subjects of their interest, which would provide ample opportunities to learn, earn and enjoy together.
As per the NEP, the school curriculum will be reduced to core concepts and there will be an integration of vocational education. This way, students will be trained to learn useful skills that will help them become employable and get jobs. Professional education is one of the key highlights of NEP 2020. With its huge demographic dividend and after integration of vocational skilling and education, India can aim to create a huge pool of skilled professionals. This paves way to introduce STEM learning in our education system.
Science Technology & Innovation Policy
Science, Technology, and Innovation are the key drivers for economic growth and human development. Through previous four policies viz., Scientific Policy Resolution 1958; Technology Policy Statement 1983; Science and Technology Policy 2003, Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2013; India has been successful in building a robust STI ecosystem. However, new challenges like COVID-19 necessitated a different policy making approach that is decentralized, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, inclusive, and aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).?
This has formed the basis of the draft 5th National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP) of India. The policy harnesses the learnings and synergies demonstrated by various stakeholders during COVID-19 pandemic, to propel India towards rapid development aligned with national priorities and global competitiveness.
The policy aims to build a globally competitive ecosystem that promotes research and innovation.? Its objective is to foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and stakeholder-driven STI planning, implementation, evaluation, feedback, adaptation, and policy research. The emphasis is on promoting Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS), developing indigenous technologies and encouraging grassroot innovation for socio-economic and environmental sustainability. Highlights of recommendations and actions points of STIP are as follows:
- National STI Observatory: Establishment of a central repository as an open, go-to platform for all kinds of data related to the STI ecosystem such as financial schemes, programmes, grants and incentives, is envisaged.?
- Open Science Framework: Building a future-looking, all-encompassing framework to provide access to scientific data, information, and resources like scientific research papers to everyone engaged in India STI ecosystem on an equal partnership basis.
- STI Education: Improving STI education by making it inclusive at all levels with socio-economic connect; through process of skill building, training, infrastructure development and interdisciplinary research to address the needs of the community.?
- STI Financing: Setting earmarked budget to pursue STI activities in government, public and private sectors. Collaboration of global and domestic enterprises. Creation of hybrid funding models, corpus funds, suitable rule amendments, setting efficient mechanisms to support conducive investment
- Research Ecosystem: Creating an accountable research ecosystem aligned with global standards. Developing framework for excellence in research and innovation for improving research quality, stakeholder engagement, and societal impact.
- Innovation Ecosystem: Promoting entrepreneurship, grassroot innovation and traditional knowledge systems and their integration in education & research. Support to grassroot innovators related to IPR and collaboration with scientists. Preservation of traditional knowledge using advanced S&T tools.
- Self-reliance: Encouraging technology self-reliance and indigenization by improving links between strategic departments, incentivizing private sector and higher education institutes, commercializing spin-off technologies, and developing relevant disruptive technologies.
- Equity and Inclusion: Integrating equity and inclusion in the STI ecosystem by developing institutional mechanisms to tackle discrimination, exclusion, and inequality. Providing equal opportunity & representation to marginalized groups.?
- Science Communication: Mainstreaming SciComm and public engagement through capacity building, cross disciplinary locally relevant research, outreach platforms, linkage between SciComm and science pedagogy. Involving NGOs in Citizen Science; and connecting scientists, media persons & communicators.
- International Engagement: Proactively promoting global knowledge and talent exchange. Intensifying involvement with Indian scientific diaspora through attracting talent back home and creating an exclusive engagement portal. Revitalization of the number and role of S&T counsellors.?
- STI Governance: Formulating decentralized, robust, institutional mechanisms balancing top-down and bottom-up approaches. Focus on administrative and financial management, research governance, capacity building, data and regulatory framework and system interconnectedness.?
- STI Policy Institute: Establishing Institute for policy governance and knowledge support, strengthening policy research and science advice mechanism; developing capacity building programmes; and devising implementation strategy, roadmap, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Effective STEM Learning Ecosystem
To develop an effective STEM learning ecosystem in our educational institutions, it is necessary to maximize the synergy between the NEP 2020 and STIP policies. Community Science Centres, Science Museums, Science Cities and other similar institutions have been actively promoting hands-on science education with focus on developing curiosity, inquisitiveness, scientific temper and spirit of innovation. These organizations have a lot to offer for promoting STEM education in the formal education system. Developing and strengthening linkages between schools and the local science centres, museums, etc. will provide the support needed by schools to integrate STEM education. This may be by way of teachers training on hands-on approaches of STEM learning, developing and using innovative Teaching Learning Material (TLM) for STEM teaching, integration of emerging technologies in school curriculum and by setting up STEM Labs in schools and their effective use in school education.
STEM education, thus, plays an important role in future preparedness of youngsters. Introducing a STEM approach at school level will enhance critical thinking, motivate experimenting, promote teamwork, boost curiosity, and develop problem solving skills?among children.