President Akufo-Addo (middle), flanked by Dr. Adutwum, Rev. Prof. Mante and Prof. Mike Oquaye
The outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, has praised Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum for his leadership qualities, calling him Africa’s most innovative Education Minister.
He explained that the innovations brought into the nation’s education sector by Dr. Adutwum were appropriate, which are gradually shaping the nation’s destiny.
“Your Excellency, just allow me to state that your Minister of Education, without prejudice, is the most creative and innovative Minister of Education in Africa that I know. I want him to be congratulated,” Rev. Prof. Mante remarked on Saturday at the 85th anniversary celebration of Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC) in Legon.
In the face of innovation, the Presby Moderator implored the minister not to forget the old things that made Ghana’s education what it was before his takeover.
“Just that when you are doing all the new things, remember the old ones have made Ghana education what it is,” he said, and added, “Thank you, Your Excellency, for scouting the whole world to find this man in Southern California to bring him here to Ghana.”
He added, “And I mean what I have said; it is not a play thing. This man is so creative, so innovative, and I think if Ghana can have people like this Ghana will go far.”
President Akufo-Addo, on his part, said PRESEC has become, for him and many Ghanaians, one of the best senior high schools in Ghana.
“The credit for this goes to past and present management, teaching and non-teaching staff, alumni and students,” he asserted.
According to him, in order for Ghana to attain its objective of building an industrialised nation, the government is increasing its emphasis on science and technology education and technical and vocational training.
“We intend to put science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) education in its central, relevant place,” the President noted.
For him, training students with 21st century skills is essential in preparing our future workforce for the 4th Industrial Revolution through STEM education.
“The percentage of General Science students in our schools has been some twelve percent (12%) for some time. The percentage of Science students, this year, has risen to some fifteen percent (15%), and it is expected to increase even further to some twenty-four percent (24%) in 2024,” he added.
He said this is being made possible through the creation of a STEM pipeline to increase STEM enrolment at tertiary education level, through pre-engineering programmes.
President Akufo-Addo stated that the pre-engineering programmes will target Senior High School graduates in General Arts, Visual Arts and Business; the operationalisation of four (4) newly constructed STEM Model Schools, and the conversion of three (3) existing schools into STEM Model Schools.
He disclosed that there were some 2,400 students enrolled to study General Science and STEM in the seven (7) schools; the completion of ten (10) regional STEM Centres to train a complete STEM pipeline from primary through JHS to SHS; the construction of Model Junior High Schools to replace clusters of basic schools and equipping the existing schools for STEM programmes; and the retooling of science laboratories (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) of 180 selected Senior High Schools, including Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School.
A Daily Guide Report