Progress on Stem subjects being stymied

If the Scottish Government truly aspires to creating a dynamic and competitive economy and giving young people the chance to embark on careers which are rewarding – in both a job satisfaction and financial way – it must tackle with some urgency the glaring deficiencies in the way Stem subjects are delivered to pupils.

A new report by Holyrood’s education committee lays bare the inequalities hampering the progress of youngsters in remote and rural regions and should act as a loud alarm bell to SNP ministers.

Improving internet connectivity in areas outside the main urban centres would be an obvious starting point in the quest to encourage more children to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but it seems clear that other aspects of well-intentioned government initiatives are not delivering results.

According to the education committee’s analysis, the Stem ambassador system is not working as it should, parents, teachers and staff are having to dig into their own pockets to fund resources, and gender discrimination is still a barrier to girls.

Any of those issues in isolation would be a cause for concern – but together they are creating a cocktail of negativity around an area of learning which should be inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists.

‘There is a cocktail of negativity in an area of learning which should be inspiring children’