May 4, 2026
Chloe Kwan is one of the Society’s newest and youngest members, joining the Society early in 2026 as an Associate Member. Chloe, a Year 10 student at St George Girls High School, has a passionate interest in science, although that was not always the case. Recently, she penned a most insightful essay for the Teacher’s Guild of NSW magazine in which she reflects on what turned her off science as a young child, and how science teaching at primary school might be changed to excite more students like her.
In her essay, Chloe Kwan argues that Australia’s education system fails to nurture children’s innate scientific curiosity, causing disengagement from science as early as primary school. She highlights a range of persistent problems: inadequate resources, minimal hands‑on experimentation, lack of repetition, insufficient instructional time, and teachers who often feel underprepared to teach science with confidence. She emphasises that such gaps create weak foundations that persist into high school, leaving students feeling lost and uninterested. Chloe proposes solutions, including better funding, dedicated science spaces, more teacher training, early exposure to competitions and initiatives, and integrating science with students’ personal interests, concluding that meaningful reform can inspire a new generation of Australian scientists.
In the past month, the ABC Science Show has serialised the essay, with Chloe reading from it in three parts, which are available from the ABC Science Show website:
Congratulations, Chloe, on being such a wonderful advocate for science and science education.
