06 July 2021
Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are going to play an increasingly important role. This is because many of the fastest-growing industries, such as informatics, biomedicine and green energy, require talent who are trained in Stem.
To encourage open-minded learning in the education system, we could create more opportunities for students to make use of evolving scientific knowledge to challenge conventional beliefs and reward them for thinking outside the box. It can also be helpful for curriculum planners and teachers to weave history into science education and encourage students to learn from platforms such as physical and online science museums.
In order to stay competitive, Singapore should further its commitment to investing in science, and continue to adopt an open-door labour policy to strengthen our Stem workforce. At the same time, we need to rethink how we are teaching Stem formally in classrooms and informally through outreach, to continually inject innovation in our approach to nurturing home-grown talent.