Hell maybe giving industry a 250-500% return on scientific research would help as well. This government has turned it's back on Australian manufacturing and science as well. We got a free trade agreement with the US what more do we need.

While there may be problems in science teaching and education, what is the point of improvement when good jobs in science are so few? The most motivated people go on to do PhDs - and then what? If they are lucky get postdocs for a few years, but eventually the funding runs out, the lab is closed down, or they just get sick of the politicisation of research and the fact they spend more time on grant applications than doing science. A look through the papers shows that most science jobs seem to be sales repping for medical/pharmaceutical companies. Is that why they spend years on their education and getting research experience? I think not.

Few contributors have actually talked about schoolyard culture - why do kids pick up from their peers that science is nerdy? It starts at Year 1 and goes right through to Year 12.

My Chinese friends can't believe the attitude.

But look at this country - the economy is basically a giant quarry with a few nice coastal properties and McMansions to speculate with.

Who do people worship in this country? Spivs and sportsmen.

People boast that they don't read books. Kids don't just learn from teachers, they learn from wider society, that knowledge, especially esoteric science, is not valued.

And then we've got the Intelligent Designers...

You would hope people or kids would stand for high achievement because that is what motivates them, not because it does not pay enough;
Get rid of this notion of Money is superior; Money is worthless if ethical and professionalism is disgorged- then the consequences of that compound out of control.
The aim is to be the best you can be, not the worst on offer like now days. And get played bucket loads for being an idiot.
That is the philosophical Dialectical Metaphysics of Altruism, ultimate corruption.

Professional is when it is your heart and soul by your own motivation of free will to achieve the ultimate goal of success and make a difference with integrity – so that counts out Law graduates- that heading comes under the above philosophical interpretation.
Bring it on.

There are plenty of people capable of Scientific and Mathematics in advanced stages , but consign it to the too hard basket and can not be bothered ; and would rather study Barbie and ken dolls because it is easy; That attitude must be stomped out.

And start kicking Bureaucrats and Politicians in the groin and get their ineptitude and corruption out of the way.

Why is there this constant talk of the need to 'train more x'? Let the money draw people towards science if it's really needed that much. It's nothing new, it's called a price signal.

I trained as a scientist, Ph.D. and all. Perhaps I should have done fashion design instead where I could earn some real money.

You won't get the best and brightest brains doing science if they are not rewarded. It is not just the politicians. We are developing an anti-science culture full of followers of homeopathy.