New task for universities from government

Paul Johnson, Vice Chancellor from The La Trobe University writes, In Britain, 43% of school leavers attend university, their target 50%. In Sweden they have almost reached this same target. Compare this to Australia whose target is: By 2025 to reach 40% from an existing 30%. At the moment of those who do have a bachelors degree, only 15% come from low socio backgrounds.

Setting a target such as the one Julia Gillard has set means that secondary education practices and primary education practices have a long way to go when preparing all students for further education. And more specifically address issues around improving outcomes for STS students.

I believe that assessment processes will need to be overhauled for this to occur. The testing culture ill prepares students for university or indeed for work.

Johnson has written in his article, 'We also have to look at the link between the senior high school curriculum and first-year university. We need a new assessment system, one that identifies students with the potential to do well at university but who may not rank well in high school exams'. He goes on to critique youth allowance issues that effect all students, but particularly STS students.

Retrieved from: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/opinion-analysis/beware-the-second-rate/story-e6frgcko-1225850641166

Authour: Paul Johnson, Vice Chancellor of The La Trobe University,April 07, 2010 12:00AM

STS- Science Technology and society

This article (The socialisation of scientific and technological research) by Jos Leijten (2009), explores the consequences of scientific research becoming public property due to technological advances. It discusses how public and political opinions and decisions will impact upon researchers and research. Our society is developing into one where knowledge is central. With WEB 2.0 individuals with their ICT tools can allow for rapid sharing of information. '...(A)re our individual and collective ideas and preferences becoming more important as steering mechanism of society, partly helped by the increasingly rich and easily accessible technological environments? Can the top-down mechanisms of policy making and politics be complimented with highly effective bottom-up processes of defining needs, wants and preferences, which serve as a guidance for the production of goods and services? Is the civil society going to gain in importance as a societal coordination mechanism (next to market and politics)?' Now this article is referring particularly to science and innovation and its place within companies and institutions. its premise can be easily translated to education theories and theorists intellectual property rights. The ability for knowledge to be shared, critiqued and expanded upon by various authors is transforming society indirectly in the same ways mentioned by Leijten.

Elementary Pre-service Teachers' Environmental Literacy and Views Toward Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Issues. By: Amirshokoohi, Aidin. Science Educator, Spring2010, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p56-63, 8p, 3 Charts, 5 Graphs; Abstract: The study explored elementary pre-service teachers' attitudes toward environmental and STS issues, their levels of environmental literacy and knowledge about STS, and their views about teaching environmental and STS issues.

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