Dr. Yaw Osei Adwutwum, Minister for Education
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, has disclosed that, as part of efforts to enhance the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), government has completed and opened seven new model STEM Senior High Schools across the country.
These, he said, form part of the ministry’s mandate to provide relevant education with emphasis on science, information, communication and technology to equip individuals for self-actualisation and peaceful coexistence as well as skills for the workplace for national development
These seven new STEM schools include the Abomosu STEM School, Kpasenkpe STEM School, Awaso STEM School, Bosomtwe Girls STEM School at Deduako and STEM Center at Accra Senior High School.
The Minister made this known yesterday while providing updates to the press on the education transformation agenda.
STEM
Dr Adutwum noted the completion of the new STEM model schools will equip students with the 21st century skills to effectively participate in the fourth industrial revolution.
He added that the idea of introducing STEM into the country’s education system is to ensure the provision of quality and relevant education, and the production of the requisite graduates for the job market.
“If you have a high school system that focuses on only arts and humanities and you don’t look at computer science and programming, you don’t look at biomedical sciences and you don’t begin to look at engineering in high school system, something is wrong with the connection between teaching and what is expected of graduates in the industry,” he said.
According to him, the Ministry has realigned strategies so that the country would produce a critical people with the requisite 21st century skills to address the development challenges the country is experiencing.
He said that, for years, Ghana’s education dealt predominantly with specialism, saying that was where the trajectory was.
“We cannot fit into this fourth industrial revolution if we don’t come out with reforms which are in response to industry 4.0 (the internet of things). STEM will enable students have the highest level of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.
“The era of training people adopting to memorisation and an assessment system that only identifies an ideal student and gives them a tag of an excellent child based on how much they scored, forgetting that we are making the country to forgotten and training these people into workplaces. We will change the way we teach and learn,” he added.
He said the ministry will provide specialisations and career pathways like Computer Science, Aviation, Medical and Aeronautical Science, among other programmes, at the lower secondary education to reposition the educational system to equip learners with the 21st century skills to be fit for purpose.
“All these are geared towards helping our students respond to the fourth industrial revolution and give opportunities to students to be innovative and solve problems for national growth,” he emphasised.
E-blocks
The Minister also disclosed that government had operationalised 4 E-blocks to improve the standard of second cycle education in the country.
“This brings to 21 all E-blocks operationalised by government vis-à-vis the 23 earmarked for completion under the current administration,” he said.
He mentioned some of the projects to include the E-blocks located at Tambligu in the Upper East Region, Adabokrom in the Western North Region, Apesua in the Easter Region and Lashibi in the Greater Accra Region.
The completion of the blocks is expected to help resolve challenges confronting the implementation of the Free Senor High School policy primary due to lack of infrastructure.
He reiterated the commitment of the government towards transforming the education space by instituting reforms in the sector for national development.
“Government has invested so much in the education sector, particularly the Free SHS and is bent on adopting practical measures to address any challenges that confronted the implementation of the policy and ensure students have the best of education,” he assured.
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