Girls lack confidence to take STEM courses, says survey
SCHOOLGIRLS are still reluctant to take science subjects – despite growing job opportunities, a survey has found.
Some 64% of girls said they don’t know enough about STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – even though they’re vital to our economy.
More than 26% of students said there were easier ways of getting Leaving Cert points than by studying STEM subjects, found the survey by I WISH, which promotes tech careers to secondary schoolgirls.
I Wish founder and Deloitte tax partner Caroline O’Driscoll said sharing information, role models and helping girls to be confident in their subject choices are key to closing the gap.
‘Year on year, the girls tell us that they want a career where they can help other people, or change the world for the better,’ she said.
‘Yet with 64% of them telling us they do not know enough about STEM, they don’t see how STEM can facilitate that.
‘And so they lose out, and in turn we do, too. We are limiting their choices, limiting their chances to follow their dreams and the world loses an extraordinary talent opportunity.’
Ms O’Driscoll said the narrative around education for girls needs to change.
‘We need to equip teachers and students with knowledge, give them access to female role models who have blazed their own trail. We need to better empower girls, to give them the confidence and support to break down stereotypes and misconceptions, to be the generation of change.
‘There are many amazing women in STEM – we need to shine a light on them and the incredible world-changing projects they are involved in, demystify what it is like and, in doing so, inspire the next generation of leaders.’
Caroline Fahey, a student at Holy Child School in Killiney, added: ‘We don’t see as many women working in STEM so it’s difficult to imagine it as a career.
‘I WISH has us thinking about STEM and is opening our eyes to allow us to consider a different future because why should we be limited in our choices and risk being left behind?’