Cutbacks in Science Subjects at Second Level

Some Irish secondary schools are being forced to stop teaching chemistry and physics because of cutbacks to staffing levels. However, those subjects are easy targets because we don't do enough to promote the study of science in general.

According to an ASTI survey published today (conducted by Millward Brown):

• 47% of schools surveyed (151 took part in the research) had dropped one or more subjects at Leaving Cert level since 2009.

• Of those schools which dropped subjects, 23% dropped Accounting, another 23% dropped Economics.

• 21% of schools have stopped teaching Physics at Senior Cycle level.

• 15% have stopped teaching Applied Maths.

• 11% have stopped teaching Chemistry.

• 32% of schools report significant levels of overcrowding in Biology classes at Leaving Cert level.

• 48% of schools say they will drop one or more subjects at Junior Cycle in 2012.

• 64% say they will drop one or more subjects at Senior Cycle.

• The top three subjects to be dropped? Accounting, Chemistry, Physics.

At a time when we are trying to promote the study of science at 2nd and 3rd level, funding cuts are making it more likely that students will attend a school where they will not be able to study all of the sciences. While Biology remains available to most students (although increasingly in overcrowded classrooms and labs), it is only because of its relative popularity when compared to Phyisics and Chemistry.

According to figures released by the State Examinations Commission, 30,349 students took Biology Leaving Cert exams (at either level) in 2011. This compares to 7677 for Chemistry and 6516 for Physics.

While cutbacks in funding are undoubtedly part of the equation, the popularity of these subjects is also relevant. If 30,000+ students were studying chemistry and physics they might not have been dropped as readily. We need to do more to make science in general an appealing subject choice at 2nd level and certainly, cutting availability of the subject is not the way to go.

The survey doesn't go into it, but it would be interesting to see the gender breakdown. Are chemistry and physics being dropped across the board or are they more likely to be dropped in girls-only schools? It would be interesting to find out.

Has your school dropped science subjects? Let us know by adding a comment below

in scientia veritas....STEM or STEAM?

Most people interested in or working in science understand what I mean when I use the acronym STEM , i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It's a term that is increasingly used within science communication and education circles but may not necessarily be used widely outside these groupings.

There have been some arguments made to expand that acronym and to add ART to that mix - STEAM!

As far as I can see, the main argument is that the creative nature of science and technology is not a million miles away from the creative process of producing a piece of art. If we accept that, then art would be a logical bedfellow for the component parts of STEM.

Another argument I see is that art is a "different way of perceiving and knowing and dealing with the world" and could form part of an expanded "toolbox" for scientists and engineers.

Another motivation for some in this debate is to support the continued and improved teaching of art in school curricula. Fostering creativity and artistic talent (alongside STEM education), it is argued, will lead to increased levels of innovation and thus, economic growth. On the other side of the coin, there are advocates of STEM education who see the arts as a useful recruitment and outreach tool.

There is no doubt that all scientists (and students generally) would benefit from a well-rounded, education which includes a liberal dose of the arts. Closer ties between arts and science practitioners open up a range of important opportunities for both camps. It's also true that some of the best scientists are creative in their outlook and experimental design.

Whether we call it STEM or STEAM is immaterial. The links between the two should be properly explored and exploited. That's part of the reason I've created a direct link to all of the "Culture and Science" posts I've written over the last few years. The Cradle posts can be found in the top right-hand corner of the blog or by clicking here.

Building "A Real Passion for Science" - STEM Conference 2011

The communication and promotion of science is alive and well in Ireland ahead of next year’s Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF2012) in Dublin and the country’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) communicators have the strong backing of the new Irish government.

That’s the message that came from the recent Communicating STEM conference held in Cork and organised by Discover Science and Engineering and Engineers Ireland.

Ireland’s new Minister Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock, visited the conference on Thursday last and welcomed the exchange of ideas going on from around Europe and expressed the view strongly that these ideas could be transposed to the Irish setting to compliment the strong record in STEM communication already in place.

“This government is very serious about the potential for projects like this”, Minister Sherlock announced. STEM outreach work was he said “vital to our economic interests”.

The Minister seemed particularly impressed, along with many of the delegates, by the JET-NET model used in The Netherlands. JET-NET is a partnership between Dutch companies and pre-college schools in the Netherlands which sees one-on-one collaboration between the school and an industrial partner with career days, debate competitions and lab trips all on the agenda.

The scale of the programme particularly impressed, with André van Aperen, coordinator of the scheme for Shell, outlining the 70 companies taking part in 2010, along with a total of 353 school s and more on a waiting list.

The theme of the conference was Success Through Synergy and a number of industrial partners were in attendance to outline their involvement and commitment to STEM outreach and their motivation for involvement. Chris Enright from Hewlett Packard Ireland emphasised the increasing speed of technological advancement and said that new STEM graduates were ‘fundamental’ to their business objectives.

Enright also made the point that the strong record of Irish branches of multinationals collaborating with national centres of excellence in research and education along with a close relationship with relevant governmental agencies makes Ireland stand out ahead of other locations. People were “blown away” when they visited Ireland and saw such close partnerships.

“A real passion for science” is what is needed in STEM graduates of the future, said Enright, not just knowledge of the curriculum.

There was much on display at the conference to inspire and motivate. Katherine Jensen outlined the work of Abbott in promoting science in Ireland and mentioned their Operation Discovery programme for 14-16 year olds where scientists from the company lead students in experiments related to Abbott’s work in the locality and also involves a day-long visit to the facility.

Before taking part in Operation Discovery, just 41% of participants thought that they would enjoy studying science. Afterwards, that figure had reached 80%. Encouraging also was that 73% of participants thought working in science would be fun after taking part in the programme.

With presentations by the Galway Education Centre and by the Cork Outreach Community, the nationwide picture was painted before David Fahy, Project Director for ESOF2012 in Dublin gave an intriguing presentation on the current state of planning for Europe’s largest general science conference.

ESOF2012 will take place from Wednesday 11th July to Sunday 15th July 2012 in Dublin, however the organisers are keen to make it both a nationwide and year-long event in terms of its scheduling and impact.

The event aims to showcase the latest advances in science and technology along with promoting a dialogue on the role of science in society. It also aims to provoke public interest, excitement and debate of scientific issues.

A public engagement programme will run throughout the year and the call for proposals has just recently closed. Judging by the enthusiasm, novel ideas and inspired thinking on display amongst Ireland’s STEM communicators, it is evident that ESOF2012 in Ireland will be a huge success.

Communicating STEM

The fifth annual Communicating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Conference takes place in Cork on Thursday 23rd June.

This years conference theme is 'Success Through Synergy' and the goal will be to encourage participants to create successful partnerships in order to increase scientific literacy and numeracy in Ireland.

Representatives from organisations involved in STEM activities will be in attendance including Discover Science and Engineering, Dublin City of Science, STEPS, The Lifetime Lab and Blackrock Castle Observatory.

Speakers will include David Fahy, project Director for Dublin City of Science; Katherine Jensen of Abbott who will speak on "Corporate Social Responsibility and STEM: The Perfect Partnership"; and Katherine Mathieson, Director of Education for the British Science Association.

If you can't make it to Cork, you may want to follow proceedings on twitter using the #stemconf2011 hashtag.

Communicating STEM 2011

The fifth annual Communicating Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (STEM) Conference takes place on 23 June 2011.

The goal of the conference is to provide delegates with the tools required to create and develop partnerships that promote science, engineering, technology and maths. Case studies of successful partnerships between education, science outreach organisations and industry on a European, national and local level will be shared and discussed.

Practical ways for industry to integrate these activities into a corporate social responsibility programme will also be presented.

Speakers will include -

    Lionel Alexander (Chief Executive, Hewlett Packard)
          o Driving innovation: Keeping Ireland competitive
    Katharine Mathieson (Director of Education, British Science Assoc.)
          o Creating and developing successful STEM partnerships
    Katherine M. Jensen (CSR Manager, Abbott Laboratories)
          o CSR and STEM: The perfect partnership
    Michelle Star (Liaison Officer, NCE-MSTL)
          o Partnering with Pedagogy: Working together to support the curriculum
    Bernard Kirk (Director, Galway Education Centre)
          o Pedagogy and Industry - The operational level
    Aoife O'Donoghue (Cork Outreach Community)
          o STEM Partnerships - A Local Focus
    Dave Fahy (Director, Dublin City of Science)
          o Opportunities to put collaboration into practice

The conference takes place at The River Lee Hotel, Western Road, Cork. Early Bird registration (€50) is available up to the 23rd May.

For more details and bookings see here.