Letter to the editor. We are at risk of losing out about young people's science interest

All young children want to understand how the world works: that is, science and technology. Nevertheless, twice as many high school students are looking for economics and society as a high school program over nature and technology, according to the National Agency for Education. Last year, only 18 percent of all high schools applied for nature or technology. Something obviously happens between six -year -old's curiosity about how the world works and the high school choice at the age of 15.

At the end of February, Education Minister Johan Pehrson (L) the government's national strategy in « Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ». A holistic approach was promised in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Where then does the government's solution apply? Well, only at school, adults and business. If the strategy focuses solely on the school world, we risk replacing young people's internal motivation with artificial goals.

What if we would instead take advantage of the drive that already exists and turn to young people who want to explore the stem of sheer curiosity themselves? In leisure time, identities are formed. Here young people get the opportunity to try, fail and succeed without constant external press.

Like football camps participate Hundreds of children and young people every year – voluntarily – at the association of young science sports mathematics camps. The places often end the same day as they are released and the waiting list becomes long. Similarly, « Girls in Stem » reaches out with inspirational role models, where young people can interact with like -minded people and discover their passion. In both of these associations, there is a clear connection between its activities and a larger proportion who choose to study science and technical subjects. When external press is replaced by internal motivation, both well -being and the knowledge flourish.

Those who find stem through their spare time, not only in school, are also those who usually manage all the way. As the government itself states, another problem is that almost half of all who start higher education within STEM jump off. Here, too, leisure time has an already functioning solution. However, in the 36 -page strategy, neither leisure nor association life is mentioned once.

The few government grants that reach leisure activities within STEM are decreasing. Organizational grants to children's and youth organizations through the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF), a vital financing for, among others, STEM associations, have inflation adjusted steadily since 2012 and is reduced by SEK 50 million next year.

The only targeted The state grant for international science competitions has been still at SEK 4 million per year for over a decade – a real depreciation of 25 percent. Actors are granted almost half of the amounts applied for, which jeopardizes Swedish involvement in these competitions – operations with thousands of participants per year. The government's priorities raise questions.

The STEM competence cannot be solved without the leisure interest. There are a number of non -profit organizations within STEM that are ready to scale up their operations. They need to get more, long -term, resources, increased financial support for associations, more local projects for children and not least – a place in the debate.

If we mean seriously with the STEM initiative, we must take young people seriously-not only in school, but where the interest actually grows and exists: in their spare time. The STEM strategy and Minister of Education Pehrson get back homework.

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