Panellists call for investment in STEM education for girls
Stakeholders in the public and the private sectors have been urged to collaborate and increase investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education for women and girls in the country.
The advice was given by panellists at a breakfast meeting on STEM education in Accra last Tuesday.
They said making the necessary investment in STEM education in schools for both teachers and students, especially girls, would not only facilitate economic growth but also enable girls to see themselves as creative problem solvers.
This was the major highlight at a panel discussion on the topic: “The promise of e-learning to STEM education in Ghana, with a special focus on girls in STEM”.
The event, which was organised by the African Business Centre for Development Education (ABCDE), in partnership with Vivo Energy, Ghana, brought together some diplomats, teachers, students and women in science-related fields.
Private sector involvement
Speaking on the role of the private sector in STEM education, the Managing Director of Vivo Energy, Mr Ben Hassan Ouattara, noted that STEM-related jobs were equally important and would benefit Ghana as it tackled its unemployment issues and move it faster in development.
He added that the private sector had a major role to play by involving itself and being supportive of STEM education, stressing: “Coming on board will be of massive benefit to us in the private sector.”
According to the National Programme Officer for Natural Sciences in UNESCO’s Accra Office, Ms Melody Boateng, STEM education was critical and vital to society’s development, since almost every basic life problem was resolved through STEM.
Championing STEM
In the same light, a mentor and Board Member of the ABCDE, Ms Petra Aba Asamoah, said it was high time stakeholders championing STEM education went beyond policies and took actions.
She said there was the need to build the necessary infrastructure, provide the equipment and other requisite materials needed to facilitate the teaching and learning of STEM.
For his part, the Accra Regional Secretary of the Ghana Science Association, Dr Thomas Amatey Tagoe, said STEM students needed to be introduced to professionals already in the field.
That, he said, would arouse interest in the students to pursue STEM.
Stereotyping
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of ABCDE, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, called on parents to avoid stereotyping the roles of children at home and rather encourage and involve them in taking up the same home chores.
“The first four and five years of a child are critical in a child’s life, and as parents, we help form the direction in which the child may go,” he said.
He said the ABCDE was talking to a number of potential partners from some parts of Africa, Europe and other parts of the world to animate the educational content from the basic to senior high school levels.
“We are looking at having creative curriculum development with animations that help children grow up in a fun way to make teaching and learning easy,” Mr Spio-Garbrah added.