Introduce STEM in primary school, expert says
SHAH ALAM - Transforming Science and Mathematics teaching methods into more engaging and enjoyable formats should begin at the primary school level to attract students to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) stream, especially pure science, in the future.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) education expert Dr Anuar Ahmad stressed the need for more skilled teachers to prevent the continued decline in the number of students opting for the pure science stream.
He said without proper attention given to the matter, it could harm the local skilled workforce, which was crucial for the country's future economic development.
"Engaging and fun classroom activities will boost students' motivation. When Science and Mathematics are made interesting, it will spark their curiosity and enthusiasm.
"Parents also need to be positive by encouraging their children to choose the pure science stream," he told Sinar.
Anuar said the country was currently facing human resources crisis in the science field, which will cause Malaysia to rely on foreign pure science graduates for jobs in this sector in the future.
He also pointed out that the current issue was the decline in students taking the pure science stream, which included subjects like Additional Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Modern Mathematics, while other Stem fields like vocational studies were increasing.
"Right now, we rely on foreign workers for low-level positions. However, in the future, if the number of our graduates in the science stream remains low and there are large-scale investments, these companies will have to hire foreign graduates from the science stream.
"These job opportunities should be for our children. But because they are not in the required stream or skills needed by the companies, they miss out on these opportunities," he added.
