Review of Questacon

The Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) welcomes the invitation to provide some comment on Questacon for the review.

FASTS is a peak body representing about 60,000 Australian scientists and technologists. A concern shared throughout FASTS membership is declining student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

FASTS believes teaching of science and mathematics has three broad aims;
a)  inculcating scientific literacy to enable people to fully participate in society;
b)  preparation of students for scientific and technical courses and career opportunities; and
c)  encouraging curiosity and appreciation of the profound intrinsic value of understanding our world.

Questacon supports all three of these aims and its programs are play an important complementary role to formal education by creating engaging and positive experiences of science and technology for young people and the broader community.

Questacon is one of many organisations and programs engaged in science communication and education at either national, state or regional level. FASTS believes there is a need for better co-ordination and indeed some consolidation of these programs. We do not have a strong view on who should or should not be tasked to do this but clearly with additional resources, this could be an important additional function for Questacon.

FASTS believes that the current ‘theme park’ character of Questacon is particularly successful for younger children between 4 – 8 years. There is a view that this approach may not be as convincing for older secondary student groups.  FASTS also believes there is a significant gap in public engagement with current science, research and innovation.

To address both these issues, we strongly advocate consideration of a showcase museum of contemporary science, research and innovation to be developed in the Questacon precinct and physically linked with Questacon, that presents cutting edge Australian science and research for older students, young adults and, of course, broader domestic and international communities.

Such a showcase should provide opportunities for presenting high quality, interactive displays on, say, the science of the Great Barrier Reef, with a steady turn over of themes or foci. It should highlight public and private sector science, research and technology. Public sector participants should include ARC Centres of Excellence, CSIRO flagships, Co-operative Research Centres and agencies like ANSTO, DSTO and AIMS.

We see this as very much a complementary function to Questacon, and co-location or adjacent location will help build the excitement that comes from the critical mass of a precinct with a strong identity.

FASTS believes that Questacon deserves to be an independent organisation with appropriate governance autonomy. Accordingly, we recommend it have its own Act and triennial funding.

Finally, FASTS would like to emphasize that Questacon remains a very significant, highly respected and valued institution in the fabric of Australia’s science awareness and communication, and enjoys considerable respect and affection from Australia’s science practitioners and institutions.

FASTS are more than happy to expand on any of these points or assist the review committee in any other way if that would be of assistance.

Yours sincerely
Professor Ken Baldwin
President
FASTS