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As we embark on the journey of STEM-based education at SchoolBench-INDIA, I would like to take a moment to address an important article titled “The STEM Crisis Is a Myth”. I align with the sentiment that the so-called “STEM crisis” is often overstated. Yet, in India, particularly among lower-middle-class families, there remains a strong emphasis on obtaining a STEM degree, especially in engineering. Why is this?

For many, STEM education—especially in engineering—has become a marker of social status. Between 2006 and 2018, we saw the massification of education, particularly in the engineering sector, with a surge in private colleges producing a large number of engineering graduates. One criticism of this massification is that it led to a decline in quality, but this perspective overlooks a crucial point: the aim of massification wasn’t quality, it was equality.

In India, education has historically been viewed as a ladder to social equality. It’s a tool for empowering women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other marginalized groups. After all, education places everyone—regardless of background—in the same classroom, at the same table, working toward the same degree. In this way, it serves as a means of achieving equity.

Given this, you may wonder: why should SchoolBench-INDIA focus on STEM education in particular, if quality is often questioned and there aren’t enough jobs in this field? Here are a few reasons:

1. STEM as a Tool to Enhance Democracy
   Science and technology education has a unique advantage over other fields: it is inherently democratic. The transfer of knowledge in STEM is not dependent on lineage, intuition, or tradition. Anyone, regardless of their background, can learn science from anyone else, anywhere in the world. By expanding access to STEM education to marginalized groups, we are helping to support democracy. A society equipped with scientific knowledge is better positioned to handle injustices through democratic means. STEM education, therefore, becomes a way to organize and uplift the masses in a fair and equitable manner.
2. STEM as an Income Generator
   On an individual level, STEM education is often associated with financial stability. By focusing on STEM, we can help individuals secure jobs that support not only their families but also the communities around them. In this way, we can help alleviate poverty and instability in the regions we serve. STEM education becomes a means of immediate social upliftment.

At SchoolBench-INDIA, we are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Grama Swaraj (village self-governance). He believed in the power of decentralization but warned against the mechanization of society to the point where human involvement in product development was minimized. As we focus on STEaM education, we also recognize the need to preserve the human aspect of learning and creating. Once our foundation in STEM is solid, we will expand our focus to include the arts, The STEaM, aiming to strike a balance between technical proficiency and the human spirit.

In conclusion, while the STEaM crisis may be a myth in certain contexts, STEaM education remains a critical part of our mission to democratize knowledge, empower individuals, and contribute to a fairer, more just society. This is why SchoolBench-INDIA will continue to prioritize STEaM, while always keeping the broader picture in mind.