The Juaben Municipal education directorate has partnered the SOS Children’s Villages to challenge pupils in schools to come up with innovative scientific ideas in order to build their interest in STEM.
According to the Municipal Education Director for Juaben, efforts must be put in place to help pupils and stakeholders appreciate the importance of STEM even at the basic level.
Ing. Charles Adu Kumi made these remarks on the sidelines of a career fair on STEM organized by SOS Children’s Villages in collaboration with Juaben Municipal Education directorate.
“Many people in the community, do not buy into the idea because they feel that when somebody goes to vocational or Technical school, that means the person is not brilliant. They think it is people who do not excel that go to that sector of our education.
“So with this public display of what these children have done, it is likely to change the mentality of parents and people in the community, so that they will buy into the idea of sending their children to vocational and Technical schools, therefore making the STEM a success,” he said.
In recent times, the Ministry of Education has been assuring of its commitment towards improving Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in schools across the country.
In order for government to realize this dream of improving STEM education, the Juaben Municipal Education Director, Charles Adu Kumi is appealing to government to invest in schools within rural areas.
“These children have potentials that are hidden. It is up to teachers and educators to unearth these potentials so that we groom them to become talented for these children. But our schools lack basic resources that we can put together in order to come out with workable artefacts. So my appeal to government is to turn attention to basic education.
“They have done a lot with the free SHS at the secondary level, but at the basic level, all of us are witnessing what we have seen this morning. So if resources are also channelled to produce these artefacts that the children have done, it will go a long way to help these children so that when they go to the SHS, it will be very much easier even at the tertiary level. Schools in the rural communities don’t have much recognition, so if resources are channelled, it will help,” Municipal Education Director for Juaben noted.
The SOS Children’s Villages believes the initiative forms part of its contribution towards improving education and building the interests of children and stakeholders in STEM.
The Programs Director for SOS Children’s Villages in Kumasi, Bernard Amoako said the initiative will help improve employment in the country.
“For us at SOS Children’s Villages, we seek to ensure that all children are educated with benefits from their education. We support mostly vulnerable children, children who have lost parental care or those who are on the verge of losing parental care. These children are mostly left behind. So in the long run we are looking at the future of the children, and we are trying to support them so that they have a better future and ultimately our country will be better off.
“You know most people like to do what we call white colour jobs, but it is very important that we have people with knowledge in sciences and technology to be able to help us solve our problems. Work is all about solving problems. If you’re solving a problem, then you get somebody to employ you. So it is all geared towards reducing unemployment in the future and helping these children to have a better life in future, especially the ones who are on the verge of losing parental care because of one reason or another,” Bernard Amoako, Programs Director for SOS Children’s Villages, Kumasi Program Location.
The Programs Director for SOS Children’s Villages, Kumasi further called on benevolent individuals and groups to support their works, so they can help more children.
“We don’t make money, we get sponsorship from friends and corporate institutions to do the works that we are doing. Somebody has to do this job and somebody has to support them. So I just want to call on individuals and organisations to continue to support SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana, so we will be able to reach out to these children,” Bernard Amoako said.
Some students who participated in the career fair exhibition expressed satisfaction with the initiative.
“I’m happy to be here with my colleagues and this one I’m so excited to be part of it. It will help me in future when I do not have any job to do. It can help me bring some form of development just like my younger colleagues in the developed countries,” Edem Amemaso, a pupil of New Koforidua Presby JHS stated.