Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697803763418.pdf (Ireland)
Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) response to the invitation of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to make an opening statement as part of the Committee’s roundtable discussion on the future of STEM in Irish education.

(March 2023) Introduction The TUI would like to thank the Committee for the opportunity to make this submission on the topic of STEM education.
The TUI would like to start by saying that Ireland rightly recognises the work of peacemakers like Hume, writers like Casey and Wilde, poets like Yeats, artists like Le Brocquy and musicians like U2.

However, how many of us speak of Nobel laureates like William Campbell or Ernest Walton?

How often do any of us speak of Tyndall, Hamilton, Kelvin?

Importance of STEM education in post-primary, further education and higher education Every subject and programme has value.
The post-primary curriculum should continue to be broad-based.

School and college timetables are finite and hence a zero sum game when students are choosing subjects.

Choosing one subject means not choosing another, perhaps STEM, subject.

If new, and valuable, subjects are added to a curriculum then schools and colleges need resources to prevent losing resources from existing subjects and courses.
Current performance of Ireland internationally Ireland has a well-respected education system despite historic under-investment.

Ireland performs well on international comparisons regarding STEM.

Ireland has the highest level of STEM graduates of any member of the EU.

In PISA 2018, students in Ireland were significantly above the OECD average in science and mathematics.
Equally performance by students in 1 Irish schools was strong in PIRLS 2016, with students in Ireland performing very highly in digital literacy.

Second year students in Ireland were amongst the highest performers, in both science and maths, among the over thirty countries who participated in TIMSS 2019.

The one notable negative for Ireland is our performance in terms of whether very high-achieving students in Ireland are being sufficiently challenged.
Learner engagement including female participation, diversity and inclusion Learner engagement with STEM is very high in post-primary, FET and higher education.

Schools, colleges of further education and the IoT/TU sector play a key role in this.

Apprenticeships in the IoT and TU sector also play a key role.

Teacher supply There is widespread recognition of a teacher supply crisis.

Studies by management bodies, teacher unions and State agencies all speak of this.
Student numbers in both post-primary and further and higher education are continuing to rise significantly thereby increasing the need for qualified teachers and lecturers.

The TUI has long made clear that the duration, and both financial and opportunity cost, of initial teacher education discourages people from choosing teaching careers.

Precarious employment, especially in tertiary education, makes teaching and lecturing even less appealing, as does large class sizes.
Conclusion The Irish education system, at all levels, is performing very well in the area of STEM.

We can however improve.

I started by saying that we need an education system that is funded and equipped to nurture great figures such as Hamilton, Kelvin, Walton and Campbell.

However, we also need an education system that can nurture towering figures in music, art, sport, humanities etc.

The only limit to achievement in STEM in Ireland is our imagination, and of course the level of resourcing available.
Recommendations 2 The TUI would like to make the following recommendations to the Committee: • There needs to be smaller student-staff ratios in all sectors of the education system.

• Exchequer funding of the education system must be dramatically increased, starting with a gradual move, over three years, upward towards the international average for investment in education as a percentage of GDP.
• Additional targeted teacher allocation should be given to schools so that small schools can provide STEM subjects with small classes and thereby equitably maintain student choice and equality of opportunity.

This additional teacher allocation could be provided by way of curricular concession.

Curricular concession should also be provided where schools wish to provide new subjects such as Computer Science.

• Additional supports should be given to schools which don’t have access to business locally.
Equity across the education system is important.

• Additional staffing of guidance services in schools, FE colleges, HE institutions and in the Adult Guidance Service would be helpful.

• The combined Phys/Chem course in Leaving Certificate should continue to exist.

• More progression pathways should be recognised.

• More teacher CPD should be available within school time and that CPD should be of the highest quality.

• Society needs to cease being proud of being poor at Maths or Science.
• There needs to be a significant increase in the quantum of middle management posts.

• The forthcoming TG4 children’s channel should broadcast educational and entertaining shows about STEM.

• Society needs to recognise that STEM doesn’t just happen in multinational companies.

It happens in every hospital laboratory testing patients for cancer, it happens in food safety centres, and it happens in robotics and 3D printing used in medicine.
• Schools should be allowed to pay the subject association membership fees of their staff.

• Additional support should be given to gifted and talented students.

• Apprenticeships should be valued more by society.

3 Thank you to the Committee for listening to this opening statement.

The TUI would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.
The TUI would also like to direct you to the more extensive written submission that we made to the Committee last week which provides more detail on the issues outlined above.

Ends David Duffy (Education/Research Officer, TUI), dduffy@tui.ie, 01 4922588 4