Mr. Silorem Adadefu, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Ghana, says that robotics and technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) must be defended as they are the bedrock of development.
He noted that robotics is increasingly becoming an integral part of social and economic development around the world and should be fully integrated into the country’s educational curricula.
“In countries like Japan and China, it has taken development to another level where robotics technology was breaking down complex human tasks and was constantly creating the environment for humans to easily perform daily activities.”
Mr Adadevoh made the remarks on Wednesday when cutting sod to build Mamfe’s robotics lab at Methodist Girls’ High School (MEGHIS) in Mamfe in the Easter district.
The MTN Ghana Foundation is funding the construction of the robotics lab at a cost of £1.9 million. It is expected to be completed within five months.
The robotics lab will consist of a 100-seat auditorium, ICT center, exhibition and a few other components, and it will be equipped with computers and peripherals, robotics tools and equipment, furniture, electrical equipment, and internet service.
STEM robotics is changing the way students learn, said Mr. Adadevoh in Education, and the use of robots in the classroom has allowed complex formulas to be simplified.
“It has become a tool that helps understand abstract and complex concepts in science and technology courses, and also facilitates creative thinking and enhances STEM teaching and learning,” he added.
STEM bots have also stimulated creative thinking and made learning fun, engaging and more inclusive even for students with disabilities using assistive technology, Mr. Adadevoh said, adding: “We cannot have the future we imagine if we fail to make use of ICT and robotics in our education.”
He acknowledged the efforts being made to bridge the digital divide between females and males saying, “As we lay the groundwork for the Robotics Lab, we are confident it will be a significant contribution to STEM education in Ghana.”
Jefti Tuome-Ambofu, Deputy Minister of Education, said the government is committed to making STEM education a key goal to improve the quality of education in the country to ensure that students become globally competitive.
With the growing need to equip young people with digital skills, she said, the government is working to integrate and enhance STEM study and technical vocational education and training (TVET) in schools.
The Deputy Minister of Education noted that since 2017, the government has put in place innovative policies and reforms with the aim of providing students with the 21st century skills needed to participate effectively in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
She said that during the implementation of the Free High School (SHS) policy, only 12 percent of students enrolled in basic science subjects, which she attributed to a lack of adequate and well-established relevant 21st century skills in STEM.
“This is why the government is working to flip the enrollment ratio in the second cycle of sciences to humanities from the current 40:60 to 60:40,” she added.
Ms. Toum Ampofu said the government is upgrading the Science Resource Centers of selected existing secondary schools, with the aim of increasing student enrollment and raising the standard of education.
It encouraged contractors to work within schedules to enable facilities to operate on schedule.
Ms. Twin Ampofu commended the MTN Ghana Foundation for its contribution to Ghanaian education and its commitment to equipping female students with digital skills through its Robotics Centre.
She also encouraged the students to make the most of the lab when it was officially opened.
Ms. Winifred Arthur, Principal of MEGHIS, said this gesture is timely and will improve STEM education.
She also appealed to agencies and other stakeholders to help the school establish a science laboratory.