Deputy Minister of Education, Rev Dr John Ntim Fordjour, at the weekend cut sod for the construction of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) schools at Onwe-Abenase in the Ejisu Municipality and Juaben community in Juaben Municipality, both in the Ashanti Region.
Each of the complex would have 450 capacity two-storey 10 unit classrooms, five laboraries with 30 seating capacity each.
The laboratories would include Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Computer, and Robotics/Artificial intelligence (AI).
Included are bookstore, Staff Common room &kitchenette, Sick Bay, Administration unit and washrooms.
The contractors are expected to complete the projects within 10 months.
The Deputy Minister explained that the project formed part of the government’s determination to implement Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) so as to equip the students.
Rev Ntim Fordjour was speaking during the separate sod cutting ceremonies, on Friday.
The Deputy Minister said the complex when completed would go a long way to build a solid foundation for the beneficiaries of the STEM facilities to enjoy practical experience and also expose them to critical thinking.
Rev Ntim Fordjour said the STEM was President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision to provide quality education that would compete with global standard and offer teachers the needed comfort .
He appealed to parents and guardians to take full advantage of the Free Senior School policy and enroll their wards to school irrespective of their gender.
According to him, education was the bedrock of every developed society hence parents should not be discouraged to invest in their children’s education.
He said the government would continue to provide all the necessary conducive environment for teaching and learning.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, who doubles as Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu, Dr John Kumah, commended the President and the Minister of Education for their bold decision to implement the STEM policy in Ghana.
He thanked the Ministry of Education for selecting Ejisu as part of the pilot project.
Dr Kumah also praised Nananom especially Abenasehene for allocating 14 acres of land for the STEM project.
The Ministry of Education, as part of its vision was repositioning the entire educational system to produce a critical mass of assertive and empowered Ghanaian students with essential skills for socio-economic transformation.
“These skills include critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, communication, collaboration, data literacy and digital and computer science. The STEM education goes beyond school subjects.”
According to him, merging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, (STEM) education would help students to solve the challenges the country faces today.
On his part, the Adontenhene of Onwe-Abenase, praised the government and called on all Ghanaians to rally behind its policies.
He said Nananom in the area would continue to contribute their quota to ensure the implementation of policies and programmes initiated by the government.
Similarly, at Juaben, Nana Opimpim Suro Yeboah Kankam, who represented the Paramount Chief of Juaben, who is also the Chairman of Council of State, Dasebare Otuo Siribour II, commended the government for the project.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
