'STEM' initiative to be activated next year

STEM ambassadors will next year be active across 12 provinces in Thailand, in the national quest to promote science and technology studies. 

The National STEM Centres would be set up in 12 provinces during the pivotal phase to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) plans to recruit about 100 STEM ambassadors this year. Professionals, the retired, or those still employed in various industries, would be encouraged to join the mission. 

“Engineers, nurses, or anyone who has expertise in those fields related to STEM can step in and help,” Dr Montri Chulavatnatol said in his capacity as chairman of the IPST governing board.

He said in the event that professionals had not yet reached their retirement age, the IPST planned to ask employers to grant “leave with pay” to STEM ambassadors, so they could take part in the project.

“In Britain, they [STEM ambassadors] work at schools five days of the year,” Montri said. He did not elaborate on the work schedule for Thailand’s STEM ambassadors. 

The initiative, said Montri, was modelled on Britain’s STEM ambassadors, who have reached out to all sorts of schools, both in cities and rural areas. 

“We have to engage all relevant sectors in the STEM education process. These professionals have valuable knowledge that can be shared with our children,” he said. 

Montri said the IPST had been adjusting its mindset and approach, in a bid to improve STEM education in Thailand. If the IPST continued to work alone, said Montri, it would never have the budget or human resources to provide all children with quality STEM teaching. 

“We have therefore decided to engage all relevant parties to spearhead our relevant efforts,” he said.

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) and the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec) supported the establishment of centres, he added.

“The centres will serve like STEM academies where students and teachers can offer advice and consultations with teachers, students, and any interested members of the public,” he said. 

Each STEM centre was expected to coach six schools. Of them, two would be top-quality schools, two would be of middling quality and two would be of poorer quality. 

He added that the IPST would also launch iSTEM, the Internet-based knowledge centre, in a bid to let children and also adults conveniently access the textbooks and learning tools they needed. 

“It will be as convenient as shopping at a convenience store,” he said.

The IPST would also set up a “Hall of Fame” for persons with outstanding records in the fields of STEM, so as to inspire others, Montri said.

“If we don’t improve STEM education, the country will continue to lose its competitiveness,” he said, adding that the IPST had also tried to show children and adults that STEM was relevant to their daily lives. 

“STEM is about what we eat, what we use and what we live with every day,” he said.

In its ongoing efforts to enhance STEM education, the IPST has placed a strong emphasis on teachers, textbooks and evaluation. 

Regarding teacher development, the IPST has engaged experts from various industries to share their knowledge and offer training. For example, L’ Oreal (Thailand) has not only helped in producing a series of five instructional videos for a science and beauty course, but it has also offered teacher-training to ensure that teachers can convey the course effectively.

“We have already created many new textbooks. For example, we now have a textbook on science and beauty, a textbook on science and transport, and a textbook on science and technology,” he said.

The IPST would also encourage all parties concerned to learn about evaluating STEM knowledge. Evaluations should be based on the international tests like PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) or TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), Montri said.