By Inga Ting and Eryk Bagshaw
Five schools across Sydney are bucking the trend of Australia's decline in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, leaping more than 10 places compared to their overall HSC ranking to become one of the state's top 20 schools for STEM, a Fairfax Media analysis has revealed.
Among those leading the way is Auburn's Islamic non-government school Al-Faisal which surpassed its overall ranking by 23 places to finish equal 19th on the STEM scoreboard.
Business and education leaders have warned that Australia must pick up its performance in STEM subjects or risk leaving its future workforce behind.
Up to 75 per cent of the fastest-growing occupations increasingly require STEM skills, a 2015 report from PricewaterhouseCoopers found, with the country set to lose $57.4 billion in future GDP revenue if future jobs aren't shifted into STEM focused roles.
St George Girls High School HSC students (L to R) Jennifer How, Harpreet Kaur, Wendy Chau and Yuchen Ren. Credit: Kate Geraghty
The King's School in Parramatta was the next-biggest mover of the top 20, exceeding its overall ranking by 17 places to finish at 16th for STEM.
Selective school Hurlstone Agricultural cut 16 places from its overall ranking to finish 18th for STEM while private schools St Aloysius and Knox Grammar both jumped 12 places compared to their overall HSC ranking, to land at 11th and 16th, respectively, for STEM.
In January, Australia's former chief scientist Ian Chubb urged the Turnbull government to think creatively about how to solve Australia's STEM shortage.
"It isn't a question of just doing the same things differently. It means doing different things," he said in his farewell address.
St George Girls High School principal Betty Romeo with HSC students Yuchen Ren, Wendy Chau, Jennifer How and Harpreet Kaur.Credit: Kate Geraghty
St George Girls in Kogarah took Professor Chubb's advice, launching a quantitative chemical analysis "titration" club, and an astronomy initiative at the school to hopefully put an end to the chronic under representation of women in STEM fields.
The moves have paid off. The school finished 12th for STEM this year, up five places compared to its overall rank of 17th.
Australia's former chief scientist Ian Chubb urged the Turnbull government to think about how to solve Australia's STEM shortage. Credit: Andrew Meares
"This year we proved them wrong," said St George student Yuchen Ren, who came first in the state for Mathematics.
"That kind of stereotype, that girls can't do STEM, it's just not true.
"The mantra was St George versus the state and everyone just banded together and it pushed up everyone's marks."
Her principal, Betty Romeo, said the school's students were encouraged to do anything they put their minds to.
"For me its about driving them towards their own personal best and if it is STEM then thats great," she said.
While St George offered a lesson in STEM success, other top-performing girls schools floundered after humanities subjects were taken out of the equation.
Among the top 50 STEM schools, girls' schools made up 11 of the 15 that dropped more than five places compared to their overall HSC ranking.
Private schools Loreto Kirribilli and Kincoppal plunged more than 20 places, while Kambala also sank more than 10 places compared to its overall ranking.
The selective Sydney Girls dropped 12 places, from 13th overall to 25th for STEM.
Selective school James Ruse, which has topped the overall rankings for 21 years in a row and this year scored a hat trick by also securing first for higher-level English and first for higher-level maths, claimed the top spot for STEM this year.
The Carlingford behemoth led by a massive 10 percentage points, with 79 per cent of STEM exams taken by James Ruse students scoring 90 or above.
Selective schools dominated the STEM rankings, claiming eight of the top 10 spots, including the first seven places.
Killara High was the only non-selective public school to make the top 50, finishing 37th for STEM, a significant achievement compared to its overall ranking of 61st.
Schools must have a minimum of 20 entries across STEM courses to be included in the rankings. STEM courses included biology, chemistry, design and technology, earth and environmental science, engineering studies, industrial technology, information processes and technology, mathematics (all courses), physics, senior science and software design and development.