Ghana has been making significant progress in promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in the country since they play a crucial role in transforming the education landscape.
According to the Education Minister, Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the NPP and the Akufo-Addo government recognize the importance of STEM education and have continuously prioritised the need to prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce and encourage technological advancements.
He said STEM has triggered the need for a change in Ghana’s educational curriculum by getting rid of a lot of things that do not make sense in the syllabus.
“Under my term, enrolment in STEM education has increased from 8% to 15% giving us a boost with a focus on integrating STEM into the Ghana Education curriculum to foster creativity, prepare students for future job opportunities, shape their career pathways, and address real modern world challenges,” Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum revealed.
Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum was addressing a media stakeholder engagement with members of the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) at the Education Ministry on Tuesday 1st August 2023.
The purpose of the meeting was to deepen ties and collaborations with the leading executives of PRINPAG as well as top editors of private newspapers, online editors, online publishers, and senior journalists.
The brief meeting successfully paved the way for an effective media role in reshaping information about Ghana’s Education based on evidence-based development reports.
The President of PRINPAG, Mr. Edwin Arthur, his Secretary Mr. Michael Antwi-Agyei, and other executives led the media delegation.
The Education Ministry delegation, on the other hand, was led by the Minister, his Chief Director Mrs. Mamle Andrews, and the ministry’s PR officials.
The minister mentioned that implementing effective STEM initiatives and policies can lead to a more dynamic and competitive workforce and contribute to overall national progress.
The minister added “By emphasizing these STEM fields, students gain critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation skills that are highly valuable in today’s world. It also promotes diversity and inclusion, inspiring more students, including underrepresented groups, to pursue STEM career pathways.”
“New Model Schools with Mobile Science Labs have also been built. Initiatives and programs have been launched to increase access to quality STEM education for students across the country. These initiatives aim to improve the teaching and learning of STEM subjects in schools, enhance teacher training, and provide resources and infrastructure for better learning experiences,” he said.
He continued that “STEM-related fields offer diverse and high-demand career opportunities, such as data science, artificial intelligence, robotics, software development, cybersecurity, digitalization, and more. STEM education is to help churn out individuals and people with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in these rapidly growing industries.”
Hon. Adutwum stated that some schools have benefitted immensely from STEM Infrastructure and its accompanied resources.
“Some of these beneficiary schools include the Awaso STEM School in the Western Region, Abomosu STEM School in the Eastern Region, Bosomtwe Girls STEM School, and Bosomtwe STEM School, both in the Ashanti Region, while the Koase Sec/Tech (already existing school) is located in the Ahafo Region, the Accra High School (Engineering only) in the Greater Accra Region and the Kpesemkpe STEM School (newly constructed) in the North East Region.
…Construction work is also progressing at a very fast pace on the Accra STEM Academy being financed by the Arab Development Bank. All these interventions would pave way for enhanced technological advancements, increased digital literacy, and the development of new solutions to address challenges in different sectors. We believe strongly that by fostering collaboration and investing in STEM education and research, we can drive progress and improve the quality of life for our people,” the minister disclosed.
On the part of PRINPAG, Secretary Mr. Michael Antwi-Agyei, who spoke on behalf of the PRINPAG President welcomed this critical collaboration between the Education Ministry and journalists as key stakeholders.
“On behalf of my President, we assure you of our continuous commitment and full support to ensure that the right information is communicated to the general public every time. We also humbly request periodic field trips to some of the sites where education projects are ongoing in order to experience and get clearer evidence from the grounds,” he said.
