President John Dramani Mahama has announced a major shift in Ghana’s science education policy, stating that the era of stand-alone STEM institutions is coming to an end as government moves toward a more inclusive and nationwide approach to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
He made the remarks at the Sawla Demonstration of the National BSTEM programme for primary and junior high schools as part of his Resetting Ghana Tour of the Savannah Region, where he engaged education stakeholders and outlined reforms aimed at strengthening foundational learning.
According to him, the previous approach to STEM education focused on building specialised institutions, particularly senior high schools dedicated solely to science and technology.
While acknowledging their role, he argued that such a model limited access to a small group of students and excluded many others who could benefit from early exposure to STEM learning.
Democratization of STEM Education
President Mahama said the new direction is to democratise and decentralise STEM education so that every child in Ghana has the opportunity to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from an early stage.
He explained that the challenge in the past was not only structural but also instructional, noting that the way science and mathematics were taught often discouraged students from pursuing science related fields.
“We have realised that it is the way science and mathematics are taught that makes a lot of our children not want to take the science and engineering routes”.
President John Dramani Mahama
He emphasized that modern STEM education should be practical and interactive, allowing students to engage directly with concepts rather than relying solely on memorisation.
Reflections on Past Learning Methods
The President reflected on his own school experience, contrasting past teaching methods with current approaches. He described how abstract concepts were often taught using simple drawings on a chalkboard, requiring students to imagine physical objects without visual or practical aids.
“In the past, when we were in school, they would just come and take a chalk and draw a triangle on the blackboard and say, this is a triangle. The child has to conceptualise in his mind what a triangle is.”
President John Dramani Mahama
He added that such methods often made science and mathematics difficult to understand and contributed to limited interest in technical and engineering disciplines among students at the time.
President Mahama further noted that if modern STEM methods had been available during his school years, he might have pursued a career in engineering, such as civil or mechanical engineering.
He also reflected on the discipline of learning mathematics in the past, describing strict and sometimes intimidating teaching styles where memorisation was heavily emphasized.
Practical Learning and Modern Tools
The President contrasted those experiences with current STEM education practices, where students can physically interact with learning materials and observe scientific principles in real time.
He cited examples from classroom observations, where students were able to test whether substances were acids or bases using litmus paper, allowing them to see immediate results from experiments.
He explained that such hands on learning methods make it easier for students to understand abstract scientific concepts compared to traditional rote learning approaches.
According to him, modern classrooms now allow students to engage in robotics, artificial intelligence, and other emerging fields, reflecting a major shift in how science education is delivered.
Curriculum Reform and Expansion
President Mahama disclosed that a new curriculum is being developed to integrate STEM education into basic education, including artificial intelligence and robotics.
He said the goal is to ensure that students are introduced to these subjects early, so they become familiar with them as they progress through higher levels of education.
“Currently, more than 5,000 schools have benefited from the STEM equipment, and we’re going to scale it up. So other schools that haven’t got it yet, we will soon be reaching out to you, and the teachers are also being trained.”
President John Dramani Mahama
He also highlighted ongoing training programmes for teachers, explaining that effective STEM delivery depends on equipping educators with the right skills and tools.
Strengthening Foundational Education
A key part of the reform, he said, is a renewed focus on basic education as the foundation of the entire education system. He stressed that literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking form the core skills that determine a child’s future academic success.
Using a building analogy, he explained that without a strong foundation, no level of investment in higher education can guarantee strong outcomes. He emphasized that government is rebalancing attention toward basic education to ensure children are well grounded before progressing to higher levels.
President Mahama concluded by thanking residents of the Savannah Region for their reception during his visit, noting that official responsibilities had limited his ability to return home more frequently.
He expressed optimism that improving national conditions would allow him to engage more regularly with communities as part of ongoing development initiatives under the Resetting Ghana agenda.
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