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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 18, Issue 04 | September 27, 2021

Policy Memo Competition Honorable Mention

Policy Memo: Decolonization of STEM in the Public Education System in Québec, Canada

Emma C. Anderson (1,2)*, Kaitlyn Easson (1,3)*, Saina Beitari (1)*, Maïa Dakessian (1,4)*, Sai Priya Anand (1,5)*, Sumedha Sachar (1)*, Jessica Bou Nassar (1,2)*
  1. Science & Policy Exchange Canada
  2. McGill University, Department of Bioresource Engineering, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
  3. McGill University, Integrated Program in Neuroscience, Montreal, Québec, Canada
  4. University of Montreal, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health (ESPUM), Montreal, Québec, Canada
  5. McGill University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montreal, Québec, Canada
*All authors contributed equally

Corresponding author: emma.anderson2@mail.mcgill.ca
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180402
Keywords: STEM; Indigenous ways of knowing; public education; decolonization; reconciliation; STEM education in Canada
Executive Summary: Indigenous representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is crucial for reconciliation, self-determination, and inclusive and equitable science policy. Indigenous people continue to be underrepresented in Canada's STEM workforce, creating a substantial annual cost to the Canadian economy. Canada’s provinces and territories hold jurisdiction over education, and the majority, including Québec, do not include Indigenous perspectives in their elementary and secondary STEM curricula. This exclusion can alienate Indigenous learners and deter them from STEM careers. As a model for the decolonization of STEM in other provinces, we call for the amendment of Québec’s Education Act to create an Indigenous Education Steering Committee (IESC), which would collaborate with the Minister of Education to ensure inclusion of locally relevant Indigenous STEM content in compulsory curricula. We further propose that Québec include continued professional development training for teachers on Indigenous perspectives in STEM in the Ministry of Education’s strategic plan, thereby building capacity for the equitable participation of Indigenous peoples in STEM.

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Emma C. Anderson is a 2nd year MSc student in Bioresource Engineering at McGill University. Her research applies a human-environmental system model to study interrelated water, food, and energy resource management problems. She advocates for solutions that consider both socioeconomic and environmental dimensions and how they interact. Emma hopes to pursue a career as an environmental policy analyst. 
 
Kaitlyn Easson is a Ph.D. candidate in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill University. For her research, Kaitlyn uses quantitative magnitude resonance imaging techniques to study white matter structure in neonatal intensive care unit survivors. In addition to her research, Kaitlyn is also interested in science policy, outreach, and communication.
 
Saina Beitari, Ph.D., is a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada where she supports COVID-19 and other viral infection R&D efforts. She obtained her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University studying HIV/AIDS. Her passion for infectious diseases led her to work on a broad range of viruses of public health significance. Moving forward, Saina is aiming to advocate for better inclusion of science in public policymaking and to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the research community and beyond.
 
Maïa Dakessian is a 2nd year MSc student in Bioethics at the School of Public Health of the University of Montreal. She is interested in understanding the psychosocial impacts of existing language barriers that challenge access to healthcare services. Maïa is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization Science Policy in Health, Environment, Research and Ethics (SP.HERE) which works with communities to build an equitable and diverse society. 
 
Sai Priya Anand is a Ph.D. candidate in the Microbiology and Immunology program, specializing in virology, at McGill University. Her research is focused on studying the body’s humoral immune responses against HIV (causative agent of AIDS) and SARS-CoV-2 (causative agent of COVID-19). In addition to infectious diseases, Sai Priya is also interested in science communication as well as science and public health policy. 
 
Sumedha Sachar, Ph.D., recently finished her Postdoctoral studies at CHU Ste Justine, Montreal where she worked on targeting Glioblastoma with liposome mediated miRNA, in mice. She is currently working as a Medical Writer where she works on informing patients and healthcare practitioners about the safety and efficacy of new oncology drugs coming into the market. She is also interested in science communication and outreach.

Jessica Bou Nassar is an MSc candidate in the Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University. Her research focuses on participatory modelling of human-water systems, using techniques that facilitate the inclusion of marginalized communities in model-building processes and decision-making. Her interests include community-based decision-making and science policy.
 
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Anh-Khoi Trinh and Shawn McGuirk from Science & Policy Exchange for comments and suggestions during the development of this policy memo. They would also like to thank their editor, Dilara Kiran, for feedback during the revisions.
 
Disclaimer
The authors declare no conflict of interest. 
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

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