By Thomas English for Base 11
The United States has stood as a beacon of innovation for the last century and a half. It is here that the space race was won, and where world-changing companies like Facebook, Apple and the iPhone, Google, Twitter, and Microsoft were born.
Science, technology, engineering, and math, the so-called STEM fields, have proven throughout history to contribute to the innovation and growth of a country’s economy.
Yet the number of enrollments for STEM degrees, such as science and math, have been steadily falling in the US. This is despite a huge boom in the IT industry over the last half of a decade.
These issues have led to a growing sense of urgency in the US to boost STEM education in schools and improve interest and delivery of the subjects. It has also raised important questions about how to carry out these steps on a local and national level through the examples set by countries where STEM is thriving.
International Leaders in STEM Education
The countries most notable for excelling in the STEM fields are those that have small populations and a relatively well-developed economy. This means they need to depend on such innovation to create new economies to exploit. Below are a few examples of countries that have done this well.
Israel
Israel has been hailed as the tech capital of the Middle East. Despite a percentage of the population abstaining from practice in STEM for religious reasons and a high teacher-to-student ratio, the areas excel in the country.
The reasons for this is largely due to mandatory military service of all citizens in the Israeli Defense Forces, which eliminates class segregation and enforces practical use of STEM in the real world. It also helps build a culture acknowledging the importance of STEM for growth, development, and security of the country.
STEM subjects are expanded substantially in high schools with elective modules and progressions. All of this makes for a country rich in STEM enthusiasts.
Ireland
Ireland ranks highly in both STEM subject literacy and cutting-edge industry led by STEM. This was largely started by encouraging foreign IT companies into the country and funding third-level education of STEM subjects.
The introduction of large grants for IT companies and STEM industry businesses also helped boost interest in STEM in the country as a source of high income and entrepreneurship.
Singapore
Singapore and Israel are nations here that have actually worked together on multiple STEM projects, albeit militarily, to help improve each other’s industries.
Singapore, however, focuses more on input when it comes to STEM education. STEM curriculums begin as early as preschool, and there is a large culture of encouragement and pride taken in STEM fields. They are often seen as the key to the nation’s development and standing in the world. This, combined with heavy government backing and free education, helps build Singapore into the STEM powerhouse it is today.
Germany
Unlike Singapore, Germany’s true strength in the STEM fields comes from its output-based focus. While the government invests in STEM degrees and promotes them, the internship programs offered by German companies and the pride in engineering and technology fields held by German people are what sets it apart.
German internships offer a clear pathway of employment for students while providing highly trained staff for German companies. This is complemented by the industrial infrastructure and work ethic in German workers to create a prosperous environment for STEM participants.
Countries Falling Behind
While the above countries lay out a framework for successful encouragement for STEM participation and development, there are some surprising examples of countries where STEM participation is falling rapidly, or historically underdeveloped. It is important to realize the mistakes here in order to address them and avoid them in your pursuit of STEM or encouragement for participation in the field.
USA
This addition will surprise a few readers. But, the truth is that the US ranks well below average in STEM knowledge, and participation is falling quickly. While it houses such famed IT zones as Silicon Valley, many new recruits to the sector are immigrants. This, coupled with increasing difficulty in acquiring Visas to work in the country and a decline in homegrown talent, means highly-skilled workers become harder to find.
This has caused a lot of problems in areas like space and air travel, allowing other countries to catch up and the country to become more dependent on the private sector. High costs of education and a lagging infrastructure are all key reasons for these problems.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is another country lagging behind in STEM, which may surprise those who have ever been to Abu Dhabi and Dubai to see the feats of engineering, like the Burj Khalifa or Great Mosque.
Unfortunately, like in the US, these feats are largely accomplished by imported firms and employees. The high level of income from oil revenue by native Emirates and a lack of encouragement for natives towards employment in the STEM field means less of the young population gravitate towards these fields.
Solutions for Success
There is a clear pattern between successful STEM participation and the progression of a country, economically and technologically. A range of successful countries has presented some great examples to follow, including:
- Grants or further investment for domestic STEM companies
- Make STEM education more accessible/affordable across the US
- Create a culture of encouragement for STEM subjects
- Learn from and imitate other successful countries
- Provide comprehensive internship programs that lead to direct employment opportunities
Overall, STEM is a vital part of a country’s economic and educational health. If the USA can learn from the success stories of its counterparts and implement a strong STEM infrastructure and culture, there is no reason it can’t regain its position as the dominant player worldwide.
To learn more about how Base 11’s solutions for STEM education, visit www.base11.com/solutions.