NEW YORK: Malaysia will continue to push for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education to help propel the tech-driven economy, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.
Speaking at the international launch of the Global STEM Alliance at the UN headquarters here, Najib said the STEM education was vital for the future of young Malaysians and the country as a whole.
He said the ratio between STEM and the so-called non-STEM education should be raised to 60:40 from 25:75 in 2000 and 42:58 currently.
“We must have 60 per cent of our kids in our education system to be doing STEM. Once you have that 60 per cent, you will see more and more of your population will be the future leaders.”
“There is a need for us to ensure the new generation of young children who are very passionate about STEM so that we really want to choose STEM as a career.
“We got to make it happen because if you can create STEM to be more exciting, I think you will see a wave of young people of wanting to choose STEM as a career.“
Towards this end, Najib said Malaysia has launched which is known as “Science to Action” initiative to ensure the nation maximises its potential by realising the use of science and technology.
He said as part of the S2A initiative, the Nobelist Mindset and Cradle to Career programmes have been identified as two of the core programmes under the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC).
Najib will chair the 4th GSIAC advisory council meeting in New York this week.
The Global STEM Alliance is an initiative of the New York Academy of Sciences and in partnership with governments, companies, non-governmental organisations and schools.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and New York Academy of Sciences President Ellis Rubinstein also attended the launch.
The Alliance aims to impact one million present and future STEM innovators from 100 countries in the next 10 years.
It will work with governments, companies and NGOs to increase access to STEM education for children around the world.
At the event, Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor received the STEM Heroes Award for her contribution to early childhood education and gifted and talented children development in Malaysia through Permata.