STEM to drive growth

• Sectoral Oversight Committee report on Education and Human Resources Development highlights importance of STEM education

 By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The proposed national policy on STEM education predicts 1% contribution to GDP during the next decade from every student intake for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education and Human Resources Development told Parliament yesterday.

Moving the report, Committee Chairman Prof. Ashu Marasinghe held a team of 138 experts representing all industries and trades in the country took two years to prepare the research report, which recommends a STEM education decade.

“Already, 38% of students in Sri Lanka are engaged in STEM education. Based on this report, a policy decision should be taken to increase this to 60% by 2030. An increase of 1% in STEM students will lead to an increase in the GDP by 1%. Countries such as Japan, China, Singapore and Korea committed for higher growth as well as the technologically advanced Western countries are committed to arm the younger generation with knowledge where STEM is the key,” he said.

Acknowledging the fact Sri Lanka should revolutionise the education system by deviating from the traditional exam-based system to innovation and creativity-driven education, Prof. Marasinghe said: “All verticals in our society agree that our education system should be changed. We are focusing our children towards an exam-based educations system, when the world is deviating away from the same. Following the exam-based system, we have harmed their innovation and creativity. So, it is time that we should give our children the time to think and also their childhood.”

According to Marasinghe, STEM education will lead to an attitude change among parents and the teachers, and it would take time to do a complete change in the entire country. “We need to keep in mind Rome was not built overnight. Under the STEM system, the teacher guides the student and enables the student to follow innovation and creativity. I am happy to move this important report for the betterment of the education system of Sri Lanka. The President in his maiden speech elaborated on the growth of education and technology setting stage for this report, which is prepared based on research carried out for two years. People are the key contributors to the growth. The quality of public contribution increases according to the education level of the public,” he added.