Principal

Last week was Education Week in Victoria. This year’s theme ‘Spotlight on STEM’ focused on the ways science, technology, engineering and maths can be brought to life in the classroom. You may have noticed this thread in our social media posts, highlighting some of the wonderful activities that our students complete as part of their STEM Education in Junior and Senior School. We saw students studying the process of digestion using stomach enzymes, learning from two EPA officers, making farm visits, and composting in the garden club at Junior School.

As a non-scientist, the thing that I like most about science education is the opportunity to point out that science is a process, not an outcome. As some become increasingly sceptical of ‘the science’ and suggest alternative cures, or medicines, or approaches, it is worth reminding ourselves that science is outcome agnostic. It will recommend whatever is suggested by the careful process of considering the evidence. 

To understand that theories are disproven, rather than proven, and that you can’t prove or disprove a claim that is not testable through a specific hypothesis, is a set of knowledge equally applicable to politics and rhetoric as it is in STEM. I am grateful to our wonderful Science teachers who give students these lessons. Whether they go on to careers in STEM fields or not, understanding how scientific method works is a key life skill that all students should have.