The government has announced the launch of a new review group that aims to improve engagement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among schoolchildren.

Chaired by Professor Brian Mac Craith, president of Dublin City University, the STEM Education Review Group will assess potential research strategies in the field of STEM education at primary and post-primary levels.

This comes in the same week that the Irish Independent reported comments from Dr Anne Looney, chief executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), that children as young as eight are already switching off from science and maths.

"It is too late to try to encourage interest in these subjects when they are 16 to 18," according to Dr Looney."

The government is prioritising this area due to the growing importance of STEM subjects in modern society and the global economy.

Minister for research and innovation Sean Sherlock said: "I want to ensure that the Irish education system can measure up to international best practice and even challenge international leaders in this space. STEM drives learning and learning can drive STEM."

Written by Donal Walsh 

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