Australia risks losing students from science and technology careers by age 11, amid a growing gap between national policies and actual school experiences.

University of the Sunshine Coast research highlights a divide between reality and rhetoric in prioritising STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in secondary schooling.

In particular, it found that in high school, technologies subjects – which the national curriculum expects students to study from Year 7 to the end of Year 9 – were often only offered as electives from the first year of high school.

“This is concerning because it potentially limits children getting early access to STEM education and pathways,” said lead author Dr Natalie McMaster.

“Developing a country’s STEM capacity is vital for economic growth, technological innovation, and addressing complex global environmental and healthcare challenges.”

The findings build on a study of an innovative UniSC program in Sunshine Coast primary schools that found many children were deciding as early as Year 5 if they were keen to pursue a future in STEM – or not.

Education researcher Dr McMaster said participation in the MindSET-do program, ongoing in 20 schools, showed that early exposure to STEM significantly enhanced younger children’s confidence and interest, especially among girls.

“Girls showed noticeable improvements in their confidence with coding and technology-related tasks, which are critical factors for long-term engagement with STEM,” she said.

“Boys, while also benefiting from the program, demonstrated greater intrinsic enjoyment in hands-on activities like drone programming.”

The hands-on program works with students from Years 4–10 across regional and rural communities to encourage sustained interest in STEM study and pathways.

The study, in partnership with Sunshine Coast Council, also found that parents can have more influence than teachers on children’s preferences for STEM.

UniSC Associate Professor Margaret Marshman said studies to boost STEM education were vital to address future workforce demands.

“We’ve seen STEM occupations grow twice as fast as other jobs across Australia in the 20 years to 2021, while the proportion of women in STEM careers has declined to fewer than 10 percent,” she said.

Associate Professor Michael Carey, who co-authored the report, called for systemic change to ensure students learned and practised STEM activities as early as Years 4 and 5.

“We also recommend that schools and councils strengthen pathways by involving parents earlier in career planning through structured workshops and resources,” he said.

“High school may be too late for some children who could potentially become skilled STEM professionals.”

MindSET-do is now in its seventh year.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said, “The regional partnership agreement between UniSC and Council helped enable this research which I’m sure will have great benefits for our region and its workforce into the future.

“It is so important to work together to increase student interest in STEM subjects and inspire our younger generations to pursue fulfilling careers that can make such a difference, and which are being developed right here on the Sunshine Coast.

“Our future prosperity relies on our young people taking up this challenge with passion and commitment."