Dear editor,
The lack of a STEM presence within The Bahamas has become a cause for concern among young Bahamians, and the question of how to not only increase its presence but also encourage schoolchildren to become more interested in STEM presents itself as an uphill battle for our developing nation. Despite this, such a solution isn’t impossible; however, complex questions require complex answers – and coming to a solution will require rethinking how Bahamian society is structured.
The Bahamian economy’s overreliance on tourism to foster society requires young Bahamians to, after high school, replenish the aging workforce that’s on its way out so that the country can still reap the benefits from the tourism industry. As a result, the economy cannot truly foster a STEM presence. However, filling in the gaps within the economy with STEM companies so that Bahamians can be influenced to pursue such careers only acts as a temporary solution. The issue that would arise with the presence of these companies lies with the profit incentives inherent to the private sector.
In the private sector, for a business owner to ensure they’ll have access to a steady stream of workers over time and secure their business interests, the state of education in society will tend to conform to what’s profitable for the business. This could be seen in America with the “Learn to Code” movement in the 2010s or in The Bahamas with a Social Studies textbook titled Primary Social Studies and Tourism Education for The Bahamas. The recent presence of SpaceX in The Bahamas also shows this, with Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper saying, “…it opens doors to unprecedented opportunities for our citizens, fostering long-term advantages for education and innovation.”
As a mechanical engineer, it would be wonderful to see a STEM company’s presence at home, but the private sector’s profit incentives would suppress the full potential of STEM education, which would simply be counterproductive. It would also further make the economy beholden to the whims of the business owner, as we are now with privately owned enterprises in the tourism industry — all without seeing major improvements in the population’s standard of living. To avoid this, a STEM presence would need to be handled fully by the public sector, without profit incentives, and with the goal of improving society at large for the people – not to make someone rich.
From this, STEM education would then permeate through schools in the nation under the lens of making society better for all, which can, in turn, inspire schoolchildren to pursue the college education required for STEM fields. However, returning to K–12 education, the existence of private schools — with their required tuition and occasional subsidization by the government — hinders the public sector’s ability to fully invest in high-quality, free STEM education for all. Thus, private education would need to be abolished.
Such a roadmap would not only increase the STEM presence within the country but also help to modernize, industrialize, and bring prosperity to Bahamian society.
Regards,
Clement Butler
