The STEM program will be piloted in nine primary schools throughout Cyprus for the new school year. The term STEM, which is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, denotes educational policy and direction, which promotes a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to teaching, involving children in activities that provide opportunities to leverage knowledge. concepts, procedures and practices from the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, to deal with situations and issues related to the world of everyday life.
Examples of countries that have developed and implemented STEM programs in their education systems identify some common principles and objectives, such as the following:
• Orientation to innovation
• Interaction and coexistence of individual STEM cognitive objects with respect to the diversity and peculiarities of each object.
• Apply STEM practices and concepts to solve problems.
• Design and execution of exploratory processes in a skillful and creative way.
• Emphasis on reasoning, critical thinking and modeling.
• Strategic use and development of technology.
• Promoting knowledge about the relevance of the STEM sector to society.
• Interpretation of information and communication.
• Promoting cooperation.
How the STEM program will work in Primary Education
The STEM course will be conducted in two consecutive forty minute periods after the end of the course (13:05), twice a week and will be addressed to 7th grade students who choose to attend. In case that in some school there is not a satisfactory participation of students of the sixth grade, in the classes that will be created, children of the sixth grade will be invited to participate voluntarily. For the most effective supervision of the experimental, exploratory and practical nature of the work required for the execution of the projects, departments will be created that will number from 13 to XNUMX students. In the schools that belong to the institution of the Optional All-Day School (OPS), the existing schedule of the afternoon zone will be reinforced with a STEM activity lesson, which will be included in the topics of interest for the students of the XNUMXth grade. In schools that are not part of the Optional All-Day Schools, the morning zone program will be extended to the days of the STEM class for XNUMXth graders, to include a meal-break period and two consecutive periods. for the activities of the specific subject.
That is
13.05-13.45 Feeding
13.45-14.25 Home work
14.25-15.05 First period of STEM activities
15.05-15.20 Break
15.20-16.00 Second period of STEM activities
The STEM activity program will be overseen by the School Administrations, the Primary Education Inspectors participating in the STEM Committee and the relevant Primary Education Inspectors of the schools implementing the program.
Which teachers will teach in the STEM program
In all cases, the teaching staff that will undertake the teaching of the STEM program will possess excellent knowledge, skills and experience in teaching the cognitive subjects of the STEM field. It is noted that the teachers will attend a relevant training program, which will be organized by the Pedagogical Institute in September 2019. In all cases, the teachers who will work in the program will deal with the status of the services market. The remuneration for the employment of teachers will be € 21,96 per teaching period and € 19,53 per feeding period. The selection of teachers will be done in order of priority based on specific criteria that have been decided.
Where it will be applied
The STEM program will be implemented, as mentioned above, in nine schools throughout Cyprus, which are Elenion Primary School, Makedonitissa Primary School A ', Limassol Primary School IAI - Tsirio, Kato Polemidia B'-Agios Georgios Primary School, Kamaros Primary School Kofinou School - "Michalopouleio", Paphos Primary School H'-Jordanio, Primary School of Ayia Napa - Antoni Tsokkou, Primary School of Paralimni A '.
Source: DIALOGUE / Eleni Konstantinou