Scottish Government Debate: The Scottish Government’s Consultation on a Strategy for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Training

Shirley-Anne Somerville S5M-02418 That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the Scottish Government consultation, A STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland, and its four key priority areas for action, which are excellence, equality, inspiration and connection; acknowledges the importance of STEM to increasing economic competitiveness, tackling inequality and raising educational attainment, and recognises that there is more to do to develop STEM skills, knowledge and capability if the demands and challenges of the economy are to be met and build the society that Scotland wants to see now and in the future. Liz Smith S5M-02418.1 As an amendment to motion S5M-02418 in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville (The Scottish Government's Consultation on a Strategy for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Training), leave out from "and recognises" to end and insert "in particular, notes that, two years on, there has been no response from the Scottish Government to the call for fully trained science teachers in primary schools made by the Royal Societies and no reversal of the recent and damaging cuts to the numbers of Scottish secondary school teachers in key STEM subjects, and therefore considers that urgent action is required to develop STEM skills, knowledge and capability if Scotland is to meet the demands and challenges of the economy and build the society it wants to see now and in the future." Iain Gray S5M-02418.1.1 As an amendment to amendment S5M-02418.1 in the name of Liz Smith (The Scottish Government's Consultation on a Strategy for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Training), after “key STEM subjects” insert “; further notes that, in the past year, there has been a fall in the number of pupils taking science and mathematics Highers, girls are still under-represented in most STEM Highers and that there has been a lack of progress in girls taking these subjects”.