Crevits launches Stem action plan in primary education

The didactic plan promotes Stem subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – and technical and scientific study streams to students. For primary schools, this means that 75,000 teachers will receive practical advice teaching Stem subjects to make them more exciting to pupils.

The teachers can use materials  provided on a new online platform to guide them through various Stem-related project such as building a toy car that is propelled forward by a deflating balloon.  The plan has a particular focus on pupils in the final year of primary school, where the subject Science and Technics was introduced this academic year.

“We already have a lot of knowhow to draw on in the development of Stem-oriented materials by schools and teachers based on their own experiences,” said minister Crevits (pictured right). “The new Stem didactic method is another good example of this approach. We want to support both those teachers who are familiar with Stem and those for whom it is less known.”

Crevits also launched the learning network STEM+ this week, in which teachers, teacher educators, schools, researchers and other partners can meet and exchange experiences. STEM+ will be a handy tool, said Crevits, in introducing Stem teaching methods to schools with a large number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Photo courtesy Hilde Crevits / Flickr