Two decades of STEM stagnation

New government statistics have revealed science literacy in Australian schools has barely improved over the past two decades. The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering is calling for immediate government action to address the education gap.

Students in Western Australia taking part in the CSIRO’s Living Stem program. Credit: Stella Gray-Brown

Key Points

• The data, from the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, has found only 57 per cent of year 6 students attained the science proficiency standards in 2023.
• For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 6 students, it's even worse, with only one third attaining the proficiency standard in science subjects.
• Living STEM is an education program in Western Australia connecting schools with Indigenous communities and knowledge holders through the CSIRO.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Two decades of STEM stagnation in Filipino

08:06