Report By: Ishmael Barfi
Teachers have been described as the building blocks of society in ensuring Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are fused into the Ghanaian curriculum and in the minds of the Ghanaian child.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Maxwell Investment Group, (MIG), Dr. Maxwell Ampong, the role of teachers is critical and essential in the nation-building of bankers, doctors, engineers, etc.
To him, there is the need to give special attention to teachers as a nation to promote STEM education at all levels citing how it can contribute to the infrastructure development and financial sector growth.
Dr. Maxwell Ampong made these observations in an interview with the media at the Second Edition of the Outstanding Teachers Summit (OUTS) held at the Accra College of Education on June 12, 2024.
The Summit brought together educators and stakeholders in the education sector to brainstorm and celebrate the pivotal role teachers play in STEM education in shaping society and the nation.
Highlighting the importance of teachers in STEM education, he reiterated, “Everyone has been supported by a teacher at some point. Building up a teacher only serves to build up future leaders”.
On the relevance of STEM, Maxwell Investment Group CEO explained that a large part of the national base is STEM-related activities questioning how many Ghanaians spearhead big contracts in the country.
To him, to change the narrative, STEM education needs to be encouraged, therefore teachers should be resourced and trained to be able to impact the children they teach at all levels.
Though much effort has been made, he stressed that more needs to be done to make STEM a critical part of nation-building as the West has given it that much attention.
Touching on the interconnectivity of STEM and the financial sector, Dr. Maxwell Ampong revealed that, in his own opinion, the financial industry is dumb, because it thrives on infrastructure therefore engineering and engineering and STEM.
“We cannot move anything without building the infrastructure and the infrastructure comes from the STEM”, he reiterated.
The Summit founded by Stella Gyimaah Larbi, Ghana’s Most Outstanding Teacher of 2022 under the theme: “Opening Doors of Opportunities” seeks to bridge the gap between academia and the industry.
In addition, it also provides a platform for teachers and learner development emphasizing the need for teachers to adapt to the changing educational landscape and to collaborate with experts from various fields.
Speaking on the vision of OUTS, she revealed that, OUTS’s vision is essentially to bridge the gap between the industry and academia and provide a platform for teachers to showcase their work.
According to her, there are many possibilities and opportunities for teachers but most often don’t know how to access them.
“ These platforms like OUTS enable teachers to connect more effectively, get to know one another, and find opportunities for recommendation”, he recounted.
Also speaking at the Summit, Dr. Kimberly West, founder and President of Teach STEM Africa underscored the significance of STEM education.
“Improving STEM education is about enhancing the quality of life, and ensuring that, every student has the chance to succeed”, she emphasized.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
