I’m Dutch, and we don’t use that acronym here. I only understand what STEM stands for because I spend a lot of time on the internet, but I don’t think the majority of my country knows what STEM is. And I’m not sure if the Dutch people that are interested in things like Democracy 4 would know it, I would assume some, maybe even most, won’t. Even the ones that just play the English version of the game.
But I also can’t give you a better alternative, that includes everything that STEM does. So STEM could also be the right choice.
Oh, does streaming mean separate classes? I’m familiar with the term mainstreaming in special education, which refers to mixing special ed kids in with normal classes.
As for political support/opposition, in America our schools you have to test into were actually a racial integration measure, to provide a carrot once the stick of bussing proved massively unpopular. As for STEM education, I think liberals might make more sense as the opposition to it. You are both downplaying the humanities and pushing kids to do something to push the nation’s interests over their own.
Selective Schooling/Streaming sounds like a meritocratic policy, and therefore seems like something capitalists would support. The downsides proposed are that students see this meritocratic ideology hammered into them (though we definitely had ability-based classes at my school, and they got away with it by not telling us) so it’s perhaps something liberals would disagree with since it unconsciously conditions them to better contribute to the machinery of the workforce without their, or their parents consent.
From your A/B question I think it leans more to B.
I think the science is out on whether it’s better for education generally, but perhaps it should decrease the Skills Shortage situation over a long inertia.
Also religious people outside of grossly stereotyped depictions don’t oppose science.
Think option B is preferable and it should negatively affect global_socialism in the long run. Might also slightly negatively affect equality.
As to whether it actually affects global education (in the game), I think some research or info from someone who knows what they’re talking about is needed.
Although not helpful for your Trello board (!), following on from where the thread has been going, at some point in the future a policy (or group of policies) to adjust fulltime education leaving age would be really interesting, as would addition of technical colleges, apprenticeships & vocational training (i.e. non-academic further education options). Do/would these affect poverty, equality, GDP, (un)employment, amongst other things…?