Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, we know, and I think all senators in this place hopefully appreciate, that some of the fastest growing job opportunities in Australia require STEM skills across the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. That was certainly recognised in the Turnbull government's National Innovation and Science Agenda. That's why yesterday I was pleased to announce, as another plank of that agenda being rolled out, that there are some 100 preschools across Australia that will trial a new $6 million program that the Turnbull government is supporting to introduce some of our youngest learners to science, technology, engineering and mathematics learnings. This new program will help those children to explore new ideas in STEM that will in turn boost their own personal literacy and numeracy capabilities. It's called ELSA, and it ensures that early learning for young Australians in science is available. It is being kicked off as part of National Literacy and Numeracy Week here in 2017.

As the pilot rolls out to 100 schools that have been chosen to undertake a trial next year in 2018, I look forward to seeing how those preschools embrace the opportunity to develop the numeracy skills and scientific curiosity that will build school readiness in our youngest learners. With that school readiness, it will also hopefully inspire them to be able to go further in their learning of science and technology disciplines. Preschools may not have specialist science or maths teachers, but the resource that is being deployed in this pilot is one that can be accessed appropriately by all early childhood educators. It will bring fun, play-based learning to those preschoolers by introducing them, at the right level, to the science disciplines and maths—developing their knowledge, enhancing their interest and curiosity, and ensuring that, in future, we have school-ready preschoolers who go to school with a strong interest to pursue those STEM discipline well into their future.