STEM education allows students to apply knowledge to solve problems in daily life

In May 2017, the PM released Instruction 16 on strengthening capability for the 4.0 industry revolution, emphasizing the need to promote STEM education in schools.

STEM education in science, technology, engineering and math allows students to apply the knowledge to solve problems in daily life.

Instead of teaching four separate subjects, STEM education combines them into a learning model on the basis of practice.

In HCMC, STEM-oriented education was started by science clubs in a number of schools, such as Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary and Le Quy Don Secondary Schools. Later, some schools started STEM education programs with the agreement of parents.

Vo Thien Cang, headmaster of Tran Huu Trang High School, STEM education, said in simple terms, STEM means ‘study goes as a pair with practice’.

The aim of STEM education is to help students become creative, raise their sense of initiative, stimulate brain activity and practice learning through modern research methods. 

Though STEM education has become a hot topic mentioned by high-ranking officials, many schools, teachers and students say they have only a vague understanding about it.

The headmaster of a high school in district 3 said it was still too difficult to implement the model at his school. The school has sent some students who have demand for STEM education to other schools.

He said that the school’s teachers who attended training courses on STEM education were still confused.

Meanwhile, other schools said STEM education requires heavy investment in modern equipment, which is beyond their financial capability.

Cang said each student has to pay VND180,000 a month to have two lessons a week under the STEM education program. 

The tuition is based on the agreement with parents and the HCMC Education & Training Department’s instruction released in September 2018. However, many parents are concerned about the education method and the amount of money they have to pay.

Pham Dang Khoa, headmaster of Le Quy Don Secondary School, denied that it is too costly to implement STEM education. “Very useful products can be made of cheap materials,” he said.

For example, a low-cost 3D printer made by two students in HCMC has won a district-level research contest. The modern printer is made of common inexpensive materials. The inventors were students receiving STEM education at Tran Huu Trang High School.

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