Ninth Level Ireland

“Sinn Féin MLA Dr Caoimhe Archibald has said we must break down barriers and challenge misconceptions which limit women’s participation in STEM subjects and careers. Speaking on International Day of Women and Girls in Science the East Derry MLA said: ‘The theme for this year is “Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth” focusing on the empowerment of women and girls, promoting the achievement of full and equal access to careers in science …'” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 11 February]

“Sir, – I would like to write to support Prof Ainé Hyland’s concerns about the proposed revision of the Leaving Certificate (Letters, January 21st). I have been an active observer and supporter of science teaching in Irish schools since 1978, in particular the teaching of chemistry. The proposed minimalist specifications for the Leaving Certificate science subjects leave much to be desired as satisfactory and workable curriculum documents …” (more)

[Peter Childs, Irish Times, 28 January]

“Concerns over attracting girls into Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects have been voiced over many years. The vastness and sometimes intangible nature of Stem can act as a deterrent to some who lack a direct connection to the field …” (more)

[Judith Harford, Irish Times, 2 January]

“One of the more interesting aspects of the media coverage of the 2018 PISA results is that there was little or no coverage of the fact that our science scores declined for the second time in a row. Whereas, our score was 522 in 2016, it’s now 496. Given the hype around STEM and the huge amount of time and resources devoted to getting students to ‘engage’ with STEM, that does seem a little ironic. Or perhaps it’s not …” (more)

[An Irish Blog about Education, 9 December]

“A stark gender gap between boys’ and girls’ schools in the number and choice of Stem subjects they offer their pupils is shown in new figures. While there is universal uptake in maths, and biology is popular among female pupils, other Stem subjects don’t get the same look-in at girls-only schools …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 4 November]

“Many secondary school girls face an ‘information and confidence gap’ over so-called Stem subjects such as science, technology, engineering and maths, according to a new survey. Some 64% of girls say they don’t know enough about Stem, while 26% of students say here are easier ways of getting CAO points than choosing to study Stem …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 12 September]

“Universities handed out a record number of CAO round one offers to meet the growing demand from school-leavers chasing jobs in the economy. They opened more places in courses leading to careers in areas such as Stem and second-level teaching where employers are crying out for graduates …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 August]

“In June, we were the first company to put an unmanned self-driving truck on a public highway. We test-drove a commercial truck for nine miles along the Florida Turnpike in the United States with nobody in it, changed lanes and kept a speed of 55mph …” (more)

[Rebecca Feeney Barry, Independent, 8 August]

“Sir, – In examining the new female-only professorships scheme, Muireann Lynch and Selina McCoy argue that we would be better off tackling gender inequality by changing the Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) stereotypes that shape education and career choices from childhood (‘Will female-only professorships make the difference?’, Opinion and Analysis, July 15th) …” (more)

[Rachel Hilliard, Irish Times, 19 July]

“Gender balance in higher education institutions is on the way, but not fast enough. This, in a nutshell, is the argument for female-only professorships. But will they make a difference? The recent report of the gender equality taskforce concluded that, based on current trends, it could take 20 years to reach a situation were 40% of professors are women …” (more)

[Muireann Lynch and Selina McCoy, Irish Times, 15 July]

“The Minister for Education and Skills invites applications from the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Academic Community to fill 3 vacancies on the Irish Research Council. Candidates must demonstrate in their application evidence of the following at an appropriately senior level: …” (more)

[StateBoards.ie, 12 July]

“Fewer girls than boys are choosing to study Stem subjects in college due to the choices they make at Leaving Cert level, new research has shown. The Understanding Gender Differences in STEM study, published by the UCD centre for economic research, reveals that the subjects female students choose to study during the Leaving Cert cycle strongly influence whether or not they will go on to study courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) at third level …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 18 March]

“Recent headlines about high dropout rates in technology courses probably caused a wobble among some students currently considering their CAO choices. There are graduate jobs aplenty out there right across the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) spectrum, and they are very well paid. But are they only for a select band of maths geniuses? …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 13 March]

“In their opinion piece (Irish Times, 19th Feb), sparked it would seem by recent reports of ‘high’ dropout rates from Irish third level institutions, Ellen Hazelkorn and Tom Boland make the inevitable plea for a ‘systems approach’ to higher education and the creation of a new agency …” (more)

[An Irish Blog about Education, 23 February]

“Maynooth University has announced a partnership with a major Chinese university which will see 1,200 Chinese science and engineering students graduate with its qualifications over the coming years. The alliance, designed to grow Maynooth’s number of postgraduate students by 60% over the next five years, will see it establish a joint international college of engineering with Fuzhou University in Fujian province …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 17 October]

“Recent research conducted among undergraduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) at the University of Limerick has revealed that almost one third are not aware of the types of jobs they could apply for once they graduate …” (more)

[Olivia Kelleher, Irish Examiner, 4 October]

“Usually, when one thinks of sexism in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM), one might think of Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell being overlooked for the Nobel Prize, or the joke about Francis Bacon’s sister being behind his work, or Hedy Lamarr being remembered as a beautiful actress but not as a talented inventor …” (more)

[Molly McCrory, Trinity News, 3 October]

“Around the turn of the millennium, American society realized a looming crisis: the lack of female representation in STEM fields. But today we are witnessing a crisis of male leadership in a variety of workplaces. From the president to CEOs of major companies to actors and power players in Hollywood, the past several months have exposed the toxic work environments they preside over or worsen in scandal after scandal …” (more)

[Christine Henseler, Inside Higher Ed, 2 October]

“Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) has been awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze Award in recognition of its commitment to advancing gender equality for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and for bringing about organisational and cultural change within the Institute …” (more)

[THEA, 28 September]

“Constructivism is now the dominant ideology within the Irish educational establishment. For a long time I’ve struggled to understand what constructivism actually is because most definitions seem pretty vague to me. But while perusing the UCD Teaching and Learning pages I came across this list of the characteristics of a constructivist learning environment and I’ve added a few comments on each point …” (more)

[An Irish Blog about Education, 31 August]