STEM at School: why it’s essential that our students are prepared for the future workplace
Why is STEM so important at school? As the desire for scientific and technical skills increases within the workforce, schools are beginning to foster a culture where Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is recognised and valued as part of the broader curriculum.
Living Waters Lutheran College has recently introduced STEM as a specialist program for selected Year 7 students to innovatively apply their learning and engage creatively in real-world problems.
The College has a long tradition of cross-disciplinary programs of study and this new and progressive focus aligns with Australia’s National STEM School Education Strategy that sets two key goals for STEM education:
Goal one:
Ensures that students finish school with strong foundational knowledge in STEM and related skills.
Goal two:
Ensures that students are inspired to take on more challenging STEM subjects.
The seven capabilities that will be addressed in the program as stated in the Australian Curriculum are literacy/ numeracy, information and communication technology capability, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical understanding and intercultural understanding.
Through the program the college exposes students to a range of career options and information to help increase STEM aspirations and engagement. This is achieved through:
• Cross-curricular units of work that apply STEM-related skills in developing real-world task-based projects.
• Careers information sessions.
• STEM enrichment days.
Research suggests that there are robust reasons for schools to consider STEM education initiatives. Some of the benefits of a STEM focused education include:
1. Preparation for the changing world of work and careers.
2. Promotion of foundational skills for Australia’s fastest-growing future jobs.
3. Encourages essential life skills — e.g. critical thinking, creativity, learning to fail and experiment.
4. Enhancement of general capabilities — e.g. literacy skills in Science or numeracy skills in Technology.
At Living Waters Lutheran College, the Specialist STEM Program enables students to develop their interest in STEM-related fields and improves students’ problem-solving and critical analysis skills.
Every student is encouraged on their journey to grow as an individual and to find their place in an ever-changing world. Please visit 2021 Year 7 STEM Program for more information.
