The emphasis on STEM education

STEM education is composed of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It was developed in 2001 by Judith A. Ramaley and was immediately adopted by many higher education institutions and various scientific communities. The idea for STEM education derived from the fact that throughout history, these four domains have innovated the world indefinitely. From these domains necessities such as the automobile, light bulb and personal computers were developed. It was felt that in recent years, American students were not populating these fields as much and such innovations were not being produced in America.

Within the last few decades, rapid scientific and technological advances have been happening all over the world. America was at one time leading the world in new innovations; though in recent decades, Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea have been dominating the world with new innovations. STEM education was developed with the intent to enhance American children’s interest in these four domains at an early age. American children need to become excited about science and math the way they become excited about art and music.

It is the intention of STEM education to target American children in their primary grades and spark an interest in the STEM domains. Thus, American children will choose math, science, engineer, and/or technology majors upon entering college. By exposing first and second graders with biology and chemistry labs, children may be inspired to grasp better attention in their science classes. Explaining the inter-workings of a computer before allowing the children to play on it the computer may peak their interest in technology and engineering.

STEM education is also heavily supported by the national government. President Obama and his administration feel very strongly about STEM education. President Obama recently deemed STEM education as a must have in American school districts. A national science fair was held at the White House in 2010 showcasing projects including solar cars, rockets and robots. President Obama frequently refers to STEM education in his national addresses; he mentions that China and India make math and science a top priority in their schools, and the lags Americans have in those fields. He also discusses the initiative to hire and train 100,000 teachers in the STEM fields.

Some criticisms about STEM education include the issues concerning the current job market. Many feel that due to the record shortages for engineering and technical jobs in recent years, there is not a reason to invest more funding in STEM education. Many engineers in the U.S. were (and currently are) unemployed because in the economy; others have seemed to have aged out of the profession with the reason being that they are overqualified for those positions. It is felt, by these critics, that emphasizing STEM education in children is insignificant due to the current stance of the American job market.

Though there are some negative criticisms about STEM education, it is personally felt that STEM education is very beneficial to children. Technology and science innovations continue to grow in today’s world, thus it is imperative that American students stay aware of the new developments. In a national study mentioned in an article in USA Today, American students were ranked ninth in out of thirty six countries in the field of science. Emphases on STEM education could help improved this ranking, and make these four domains not only essential for American students but also very interesting.