Johannesburg – It has been debated whether art education should be included in programmes promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
The inclusion of art is viewed by some STEM supporters as taking away from the other core subjects. There is a strong belief that STEM should not overlook the arts, as they add even more creativity to the learning process.
A fresh and practical approach to science is desperately needed in the South African education system. When one says the word ‘scientist’, people will probably imagine someone in a lab coat outside a sterilised laboratory conducting experiments with elaborate formulas and beakers, but that is just a tiny proportion of what science is.
The food of chef Siba Mtongana is science, but so is the work of those mad storm chasers we see on television. The fashion designer who makes clothes out of recycled plastic bottles is also a scientist, as is the craft beer brewer.
Founder and CEO of Centennial Schools, Shaun Fuches, said: “Science is all around us. It’s the basis for everything we use, wear, eat and drive. Science can and is used in almost every career and is a career path which is poised for growth, and we need to be teaching it that way.’’
Fuches explained that the South African education system needs a fresh approach to teaching science to ensure that the country is meeting the STEM requirements.
“South Africa faces a dire shortage of STEM professionals,’’ Fuches said.
He further indicated that South Africa produces a few STEM experts, leading to many jobs in that sector being outsourced to large multinational companies.
‘’What is urgently needed is home-grown STEM talent. To achieve this, there needs to be a dramatic change in the narrative around science and the way in which it’s taught in our schools,” he stated.
Lyn Haupt, Centennial Schools science teacher, offers a new perspective on teaching science. Haupt said students already enrich their lives with technology, and if technology is used to enrich science learning, then it is a win for everyone.
“While textbooks are great supplements, we need to do real science using some form of technology. We record everything we do, we log our data, cellphones are used to measure time, pictures are taken, and videos are made – that is how we show our students the importance of data analytics,” she said.
Haupt’s greatest concern about conventional science teaching methods is that they diminish the subject to a set of fragmented facts, which are good for writing an exam but are bad for a full understanding of what it means in the context of the real world.
While Centennial Schools offer traditional teaching content, they also teach their students to go through the mental and physical activity of doing science.
“We run experiments similar to those working scientists conduct so that the students understand the actual process of science,” she said.
Haupt explained schools need to balance out facts with actually doing science that matters.
She said the solution is simple: we have to change the way questions are asked, and do more practical work based on outcomes.
Fuchs agreed that scarce skills in South Africa range from geologists to chemists, software developers, multimedia designers, investment managers, high school teachers and tax professionals. All of which require STEM learning.
“STEM education also contributes skills to the primary and secondary sectors of the economy – agriculture, mining, manufacturing, utilities, and construction – which contributes to around 30% of our GDP and 30% of employment opportunities. Once we start showing students that STEM is a major influence in creating entrepreneurs and innovators, we are on the right track,” Fuchs concluded.
