Key Facts:
- Australia's Prime Minister recently announced the country's approach to AI, prompting a broader conversation about how to future-proof the economy - a conversation the author argues must begin in primary school.
- Effective STEM education goes beyond preparing children for specific careers; it develops curiosity, resilience, creativity and critical thinking - the human skills that AI cannot replace.
- The Tom Ashmor Foundation invests in STEM learning environments in public primary schools, and has already created world-class STEM classrooms in three Victorian public primary schools since launching recently.
- Children starting school today will enter a workforce that is largely unimaginable, with jobs, technologies and challenges that do not yet exist, making early investment in curiosity and creativity a national economic and productivity priority.
- The author calls on parents, educators, businesses, philanthropists and governments to ensure every Australian child has the opportunity to discover the power of curiosity, so the next generation builds and leads AI rather than simply consuming it.
By Kate Ashmor, Founder and Chair, Tom Ashmor Foundation
Yesterday's announcement by the Prime Minister outlining Australia's approach to artificial intelligence was a pivotal moment. It recognised what many already understand: AI will transform almost every aspect of our economy, from healthcare and education to manufacturing, defence and the way we work.
So far, the conversation has focussed on regulation, infrastructure, energy, copyright and ensuring AI develops in Australia's national interest. But there is another vital conversation Australia must have, to future-proof our economy, and it begins well before university lecture theatres and research laboratories.
It begins in primary school.
Every technological breakthrough, every innovation, begins with a curious child. Someone who asked questions, experimented, made mistakes and wasn't afraid to try again. Every engineer, scientist and inventor was once a student who was given the opportunity to explore, imagine and discover.
That's why STEM education matters. Too often, STEM is viewed through the lens of workforce shortages or future careers. While those outcomes are important, they miss the bigger picture. Impactful STEM education doesn't simply teach children science, technology, engineering and mathematics; it teaches them curiosity. It develops resilience, creativity, critical thinking and the confidence to solve problems that don't yet have answers.
These are the human skills that AI will never replace.
At the Tom Ashmor Foundation, we believe curiosity is Australia's greatest natural resource. Our purpose is simple: to inspire the next generation of curious minds, so they become our future STEM superstars.
Tom understood that innovation doesn't begin with sophisticated technology; it begins with opportunity. It begins when a child is encouraged to ask "why?", to build something with their hands, to test an idea, to fail safely and to try again.
That belief sits at the heart of everything we do. Through practical investment in STEM learning environments in public primary schools, we are creating spaces where curiosity can flourish. We are empowering educators to equip our kids to understand, shape and lead whatever technologies emerge over the years ahead. Since our launch a few months ago, we have invested in three Victorian public primary schools to create world-class STEM classrooms - supercharging their STEM curricula.
The children entering primary school today will graduate into a workforce we can barely imagine. Many of the jobs they will undertake don't yet exist. The technologies they will use haven't been invented. The challenges they will solve are still unknown.
We prepare them by nurturing curiosity, encouraging creativity and giving every child the confidence to ask better questions.
This is no longer just an education issue. It is a fundamental economic issue, an urgent productivity challenge and a national resilience priority. Australia cannot innovate its way into the future if we fail to invest in the people who will create that future.
Governments establish the frameworks that will allow AI to develop safely and responsibly. Industry has a responsibility to innovate ethically. Schools prepare young people for a rapidly changing world. But all of us - parents, educators, businesses, philanthropists and governments - share a responsibility to ensure every Australian child has the opportunity to discover the joy, and the power, of curiosity.
The AI revolution is already here. The question is not whether Australia will use artificial intelligence. The question is whether the next generation of Australians will simply consume the technology, or whether they will be the ones building it and leading the world.
The journey begins with inspiring the next generation of curious minds in our primary school classrooms.
About us:
About the Tom Ashmor Foundation
The Tom Ashmor Foundation is an Australian charity dedicated to inspiring the next generation of curious minds by improving access to practical STEM education in public primary schools.
Established in memory of Tom Ashmor, the Foundation partners with schools to build infrastructure that creates engaging STEM learning environments to encourage children to explore, experiment and solve real-world problems. The Foundation believes curiosity is the foundation of innovation and that every child deserves the opportunity to discover their potential through science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
By investing in curiosity from an early age, the Tom Ashmor Foundation is helping equip young Australians with the confidence, creativity and critical thinking skills they will need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
About Kate Ashmor
Kate Ashmor is the Founder and Chair of the Tom Ashmor Foundation, established in memory of her late husband, Tom Ashmor, to inspire the next generation of curious minds through practical STEM education in Australian public primary schools.
A senior lawyer and company director, Kate has dedicated her career to public service, advocacy and creating opportunities that improve the lives of others. She is also a mother who understands that every child deserves the chance to discover their potential, regardless of their postcode or background.
Following her beloved husband Tom's passing in 2024, Kate established the Foundation to honour his enduring belief in the power of curiosity, innovation and education to change lives. What began as a deeply personal legacy has grown into a mission to ensure more Australian children have access to hands-on STEM learning, that encourages them to ask questions, solve problems and imagine what's possible.
Kate is a passionate advocate for STEM education, philanthropy and Australia's future workforce. She regularly speaks and writes on the importance of investing in curiosity from an early age, believing that the ideas, innovators and leaders who will shape Australia's future are sitting in today's primary school classrooms.
