The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has said the deliberate attention given to Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is aimed at solving unemployment in the country.
Dr. Adutwum has on several occasions indicated that there is a need to have great and creative minds starting from kindergarten in other to meet the 21st-century industrial revolution.
However, he says the disconnect between what is taught in schools and what is required on the job market plays a critical role in contributing to the high unemployment in the country.
Speaking on Ghana Television, the Education Minister said the STEM agenda will help create jobs and give students the necessary skills needed for the job market.
“Invariably, there’s this disconnect. Companies are complaining that we don’t have the critical minds to run our companies, and the students are crying that we don’t have jobs. The matchmaking is too intensive, and that is something we’re going to do at the high school level. It is so critical that we match, it is so critical that companies begin to understand the resources that we have here. And that is why we are beginning the high school curriculum. Sometimes we just complain that the economy is not growing fast enough. A number of times I meet industry players, and they tell me that we don’t have the people”.
He further indicated that, for STEM to be more effective, there will be a need to involve various stakeholders.
“I’m bringing companies into the high school curriculum development. Why should we sit somewhere as the minister of education and design a curriculum without even involving university professors and bringing in the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)? I want them to tell me that these are the kind of people we want, and if you produce them today, we will take them. So that is something that we need to do a better job bringing industry into education and ensuring that we trained people for them. ”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) School at East Legon in Accra.
He assured that science and technology will be given prominent attention in his second term.
“Already, as part of my commitment to the advancement of STEM education in the country, the government has commenced the development of 20 STEM centres, and 10 model STEM Senior High Schools across the country, which are at various stages of completion. Some of these schools will be operationalized this year.”
“These institutions and centres will be fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories to facilitate teaching and learning in all areas of study, including artificial intelligence and robotics… In the next 24 months, the Accra STEM academy will be completed from Kindergarten to Senior High School with an expected student population of 2,000 students.” President Akufo-Addo said.
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