Bountiful Technologies Company Limited (BTCL) has organised a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education workshop for teachers in the Atewa West District to enhance their skills in teaching using technology.
The four-day course which was held at Abomosu and Kwabeng focused on equipping teachers with practical skills in handling STEM classes and the need to get students to develop interest in the STEM education.
The workshop, which covered over 102 teachers from six circuits (Asunafo, Abomosu, Kwabeng, Akropong, Akrofufu and Banso) in the district, saw teachers build and programme educational robots as a dynamic step to igniting interest in STEM education.
STEM reform, support
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Executive Director at BTCL, Mr Seth Ogoe Ayim, said as part of its corporate social responsibility, it was the priority of the company to train teachers in deprived communities to get under-privileged students in such areas to develop interest in STEM education and prepare them to pursue 21st century careers.
“We are focusing on the rural communities to train about 3,000 teachers across the country in STEM education by the end of 2024.
As a trainer, we call on NGOs and corporate bodies to support the initiatives in STEM education by providing the necessary kits needed by the teachers and students to develop the skills and their creativity in the field of STEM,” he said.
Mr Ayim commended the change in the educational curriculum to emphasis on building practical learning and STEM education among students.
“With the change in the educational curriculum, one of the emphasis is STEM.
It is the way to go; in the 21st century we are looking for skills that are marketable to prepare our children for work and college readiness.
“We need innovative students who are problem solvers; that is why BTCL has introduced the robotics to orient teachers about the possibilities of the children in the classroom using robotics, which is very critical in STEM education,” he stated.
Mr Ayim complimented the government’s recognition of the importance of STEM education, for which it had voted GH¢88 million for infrastructure in that regard, as well as £76 million for basic STEM programmes.
He called on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to take critical interest in the capacity building of teachers to ensure a successful implementation of STEM programmes.
Implementation
The Atewa West District Director of Education, Ms Vida Evelyn Paaku, called on the teachers who underwent the exercise to be the forebears of the initiative in its implementation by engaging their colleagues and students in the subject of STEM training.
“This programme will help the children to be innovative and help unearth problem-addressing skills within them so that we can have graduates who can employ themselves.
“With creativity and practicability being key in the new curriculum and STEM education paramount, our desire is to see the teachers who were privileged to be at this workshop act as trainers of trainees to help their colleagues appreciate the educational robotics which is fundamental in STEM education,” Ms Paaku said.