Seven (7) science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) schools, have been included in the Computerized School Selection Placement (CSSPS) for the 2023 academic year, the Ministry of Education has announced.

They are the Awaso STEM School in the Western Region, Abomosu STEM School in the Eastern Region, Bosomtwe Girls STEM School and Bosomtwe STEM School, both in the Ashanti Region, while the Koase Sec/Tech (already existing school) is located in the Ahafo Region, the Accra High School (Engineering only) in the Greater Accra Region and the Kpesemkpe STEM School (newly constructed) in the North East Region.

This development comes as a result of recent calls and intense advocacy efforts by stakeholders in academia and civil society, urging government to put in structures that will elevate the teaching and learning of STEM courses, among teachers and junior and senior high school students in the country.

Last year, GhanaWeb, published a news report that indicated, more than 1,500 young girls in selected Junior High Schools (JHS) within the Central and Eastern Regions have benefited from a four-year partnership project between the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) aimed at promoting girl Competency and participation in STEM courses to equally climb the academic ladder with boys.

Mrs Olivia Serwaa Opare, the director in charge of the National STEM Resources Center of GES, at the weeklong camp, reiterated the need for STEM education in the 21st century, for especially young girls, who were mostly sidelined from taking up roles in STEM-related areas.

The objective of the project, she pointed out, was to increase girl’s participation in STEM courses through enhanced opportunities for girls in Maths and Science.

“Additionally, it seeks to promote a more effective pedagogy in Maths and Science that would strengthen the education system and provide a girl-friendly school environment towards the socio-cultural factors creating a negative perception towards girls’ education, especially in STEM,” she added.

She said the project was leaving no stone unturned, as more teaches were being trained and empowered to provide the young girls with practical aspects of Maths and Science.

Globally, the relevance of STEM is progressively becoming an important fixture in education and the world economy. This is because careers of the future will most certainly be centered around STEM fields, which invokes skills such as critical thinking, creativity, cultural awareness, collaboration and problem-solving.

When introduced at young ages, STEM Education Improves creativity, encourages increased team collaboration, develops communication skills, empowers critical thinking skills, boosts curiosity, improves cognitive skills, teaches young people how to take initiatives, and boosts social-emotional learning (SEL).

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IP/WA