President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated the government’s goal to position Ghana as a leader in STEM education and innovation in Africa.
Addressing the 61st Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools on Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo said the government was creating a STEM pipeline to increase STEM enrolment at the tertiary education level, through pre-engineering programmes.
The pre-engineering programme has been introduced to target Senior High School Graduates in General Arts, Visual Arts and Business, he indicated and added that the one-year pre-university programme, launched in February 2022, has admitted its second cohort of students.
The government’s objective, according to the President, is to increase the talent pool from which engineers can be selected to ensure the number of engineering graduates increases from the current 6,500 to 30,000 by 2030.
At the senior high school level, the President said the increase in enrolment in STEM has been made possible by operationalising four newly constructed STEM Model Schools and converting three existing schools into STEM Model Schools.
“The Ghana STEM Academy Schools are Abomosu STEM Academy, Awaso STEM Academy, Kpasenkpe STEM Academy, Bosomtwi Girls STEM Academy, Bosomtwi STEM Academy, Accra High School STEM Centre, and Koase Secondary Technical School.
These schools have been equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, dormitories, assembly halls, dining halls and conducive environments to foster teaching and learning. There are some 2,400 students enrolled to study General Science and STEM in the seven schools.
In addition to these, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the government has completed the construction of 10 regional STEM Centres to train a complete STEM pipeline from primary through JHS to SHS.
“The Accra High School STEM Centre is operational, and it receives some 250 students every day, who undertake training in robotics, 3D printing, coding, physics, chemistry and biology for JHS and SHS students who are in the Greater Accra Region,” he indicated.
Six other centres, which are 90% complete, are located at Mfantsipim School, Fijai SHS, Koforidua SHS, Jinijini SHS, Ahafoman SHS and Abuakwa SHS, whilst the rest, Mawuko SHS, Sefwi Wiawso SHS and Atebubu SHS are between 30 per cent to 50 per cent complete.
“We have also embarked on the retooling of science laboratories (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) of one hundred and eighty (180) selected Senior High Schools,” he added.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
