A position paper released today by the Office of the Chief scientist brings a welcome focus on the importance of improving primary school science education.
The paper’s suggested goals are improving the prestige of teachers, creating a national science professional development program for teachers and the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Education Leadership Taskforce to act as a focal point for national engagement on science education.
Other proposed measures include ways to attract high achievers into primary science teaching, educating primary principals to be science leaders, and making STEM preparation in pre-service teaching courses more rigorous.
The Academy of Science has three education programs in maths and science: Primary Connections, Mathematics by Inquiry and Science by Doing.
Read the position paper at the Chief Scientist website.
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