Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, Deputy Education Minister
Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, a Deputy Minister of Education, has reiterated the government’s commitment to revolutionising education through strategic interventions aimed at fostering practical, hands-on learning.
Speaking at the ongoing STEMNOVATION event at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) yesterday, Dr. Nyarko emphasised the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in solving Ghana’s developmental challenges.
“It is a whole gamut of interventions that the Ministry of Education is using to solve our problems. We can’t always rely on external persons and their interventions. There are indigenous ways we use to solve problems and issues that confront us. This government is strengthening STEM and TVET education, establishing STEM schools across the country to foster innovative and creative problem-solving skills in learners,” he stated.
Practical
He explained that the government’s recent shift from theoretical to practical approaches in education was paving the way for the industrialisation of the nation. “The years of acquiring purely theoretical knowledge are giving way to practical, hands-on solutions to our problems. If you look at the curriculum we’ve introduced recently, we have moved from an objective-based curriculum to a standard-based one where the focus is on hands-on activities,” he added.
Dr. Nyarko further highlighted how the STEMNOVATION competition had served as a platform for learners to showcase their creativity and critical thinking skills. He noted that judges at the event posed thought-provoking questions to contestants, encouraging them to think on their feet and apply practical solutions to real-world problems.
“This is what we need if we want to industrialise this country. STEM education and TVET are the keys to achieving this goal, and what we are witnessing is evidence of the government being on the right track,” he indicated.
“By Wednesday, we hope to see projects that have evolved into products capable of solving real-world problems, and this is how we will incorporate these innovations into the broader industrialisation agenda,” he noted.
Dr. Nyarko underscored the role of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in giving true meaning to STEM and TVET education. “Without these critical interventions in our school environment and system, we wouldn’t be able to monitor progress or take this country to where we want it to be,” he added.
Rewards
Mr Kofi Nkansah Ofosu, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), announced that the government was providing substantial rewards for schools participating in the STEMNOVATION contest.
The overall prize-winning school will receive GHC50,000, while the second and third place winners will be awarded GHC40,000 and GHC30,000, respectively. Schools placing between 4th and 10th positions will each receive GHC10,000, with this year’s contest extending the prizes to the 11th to 20th placed schools, which will also receive GHC10,000 each.
Mr. Ofosu said these financial rewards were part of efforts to motivate schools to put forward their best work and encourage the pursuit of excellence in innovation. “All these initiatives are aimed at encouraging the schools to put up their best and drive forward STEM education in Ghana,” he stated.
He stated that government was keen on seeing the transformation of innovative ideas into products that contribute to Ghana’s industrial and economic development.
He emphasised that year’s focus on strengthening STEM and TVET education showed the government’s vision to position Ghana as a leader in technology and industrialisation in the sub-region.
The competition
A total of two hundred and eighty-five (285) second-cycle institutions in the country are participating in the 2024 edition of the novel STEMNNOVATION competition.
The STEMNNOVATION competition, an initiative of the Free Senior High School Secretariat which started in 2022, has led to students being offered the opportunity to explore and innovate with projects. Winners of last year’s event, Ahafoman Secondary/Technical School, and the 1st runner-up school, Wesley Grammar, as part of their prizes, embarked on a one-week educational tour to Japan where they took part in this year’s international STEM conference.
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