Satisfy UTAG while reforming education system

Yesterday, the government announced its intention to run Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and community day schools, otherwise known as E-blocks.

It also assured the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) of the government’s preparedness to engage them for the two parties to reach consensus on addressing their grievances that have caused them to be on strike for almost a month now.

The government has, therefore, appealed to UTAG members to bring the current strike to an end.

The two issues, improvement in the education system and the UTAG strike, also, obviously, a matter that relates to education, must not be toyed with.

Expatiating on the first item, the government says it is set to run six STEM schools from the 2022/2023 academic year.

The six are said to be located at Abomosu in the Eastern Region,  Kpasenkpe in the North East Region,  Awaso in the Western North Region, Bosomtwe in the  Ashanti Region and two in Accra in the  Greater Accra.

These are said to be part of 10 STEM schools budgeted for in the 2022 budget and that in all, the government intends to establish 35 of such schools across country over the long term.

The STEM schools are expected to serve as the new pathway for science education in the country, particularly to enhance the teaching and learning of related subjects.

The government is also ready to run  E-blocks.

The government explains that the new schools are concrete proof that it is making efforts in transforming education in the country to bring it to a level where it could serve the needs of the 21st century.

Besides, the STEM schools would be state-of-art facilities which will have well-equipped laboratories to make the teaching and learning of science in the country practical.

The government says it has embarked on a number of reforms which would deliver the outcomes that would lead to the transformation of the socio-economic development of the country.

Taking the first one, the Ghanaian Times wishes to state that since education has come to be accepted as the key to development, there is the need to constantly reform it by improving what exists now and also bring on board additions that capture current trends and needs.

In that regard, facilities, content and teaching and learning approaches must change for the better.

To this end, this paper appeals to the government to equally emphasise content and pedagogy because hitherto the teaching and learning of STEM in the country has not shown much progress and results .

There is now the huge need for training and retraining of STEM teachers, even if abroad, to make them able to deliver world-class lessons that can make learners love to learn more and even undertake projects in their subject areas in the hope that they would eventually be inventors and other professionals who would champion the country’s development.

It is only STEM that can eradicate superstition and make people accept that they can pursue their preferred religions but it takes human efforts for individuals, communities and nations to develop and progress, not prayers, meditation, incantations or chanting.

Concerning the UTAG strike, the Ghanaian Times comes in once again to join the appeal to the university teachers to consider going back to the classroom to resume the teaching of continuing students and introduce the freshmen to what they are yearning for – university education.

In the circumstances, the government must hasten to fulfil all its obligations to the UTAG members whose contribution to the acquisition of knowledge and skills for national development is indispensable.