Engineering New Zealand chief executive Dr Richard Templer has labelled it a crisis.

He said funding for STEM initiatives that boost the core curriculum has significantly declined in recent years and STEM education providers are closing or facing uncertain futures due to a lack of financial support.

In addition, Templer said over the last decade there has been a decline in NCEA students doing STEM subjects, with the number of graduates being assessed and achieving for senior maths and physics papers dropping by more than 20 per cent.

This trend is also seen in higher education, where the proportion of STEM graduates is below the OECD average.

“Given the decline, it is a concern that support for teachers delivering STEM subjects is being cut back,” Templer said in a statement.

“This means thousands of kids are missing out on the excitement and opportunity of a career in STEM.”

Engineering New Zealand launched the Wonder Project in 2018 – a free, curriculum-aligned STEM initiative that has engaged nearly 140,000 students across 1400 schools, with hands-on learning experiences.

Through the project, schools are paired with volunteer STEM professionals who support learning across a school term, building teacher and student confidence and providing a source of meaningful representation.

However, a funding cut made by the Hipkins Government has left the initiative in jeopardy, with Engineering New Zealand reaching out to Kiwi businesses to support the programme.   

This comes as Nanogirl Labs has been placed into liquidation, after eight years of bringing science into schools through live shows, STEM kits and education programmes.

Founders Dr Michelle Dickinson and husband Joe Davis say they reached more than one million young people over the years, but Dickinson told RNZ revenue sources have “all dried up”.  

“The big one for us was the cut to the Curious Minds Nationwide funding, that was from MBIE, which supported local community science engagement,” she said.

Dickinson said Nanogirl Labs also had contracts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for science curriculum remodification in the Pacific Islands and the Ministry of Education for teacher training in STEM, but these have been cut by the Luxon Government.

Dickinson told RNZ cost of living has also taken a toll, with industry sponsorship dropping away and science agencies such as MacDiarmid Institute and NIWA, suffering cuts of their own, which mean they are no longer able to “dip in for impact work”.

“...We ran big theatre tours where we tried to keep all of our tickets accessible, we had free tickets for those who couldn’t afford to come, but cost of living has just meant ... our expenses got really high...” she said.

In the meantime, the Wonder Project hangs in the balance, without further funding, it may be forced to shut down.

“Every year, more jobs in New Zealand will require STEM skills, so investing in STEM education is the right call for our kids and our economy,” Templer said.

“As the stakes for New Zealand’s future are so high, it is important that a successful STEM programme like the Wonder Project continues.”