Female scientists found to be almost entirely absent from Australian high school curriculum

A new study has found only one female scientist named in high school curriculums in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Photograph: UniversalImagesGroup/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Female scientists are almost entirely omitted from Australian curriculum, a new study has found, with researchers warning the “alarming” lack of representation could be contributing to the gender gap in the field of Stem.

The study, published in the Australian Journal of Education on Monday, analysed the curriculum of the four year 11 and year 12 Stem subjects taught in Australian schools – biology, chemistry, physics and environmental science.