Govt to construct Science Lab at Pope John SHS to honour Omane Boamah
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu has said the government would construct a science laboratory at the Pope John Senior High School and Seminary in Koforidua in the Eastern Region in honour of the late Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, who lost his life in the tragic August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash with seven others.
The construction of the proposed facility, he explained, was to honour the late Dr Omane Boamah, an old student of the school, for his loyalty and dedication to the service of Ghana.
"As we launch this BSTEM project today, I am happy on behalf of the government of President Mahama to assure the good people of Koforidua that the government will build a modern dedicated science laboratory in honour of the late Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah," Haruna Iddrisu said.
He was speaking in Sunyani in the Bono Region on Monday [August 18, 2025] at the inauguration of the Basic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (BSTEM) teacher training reports Graphic Online's Biiya Mukusah Ali.
Govt to introduce STEM subjects from basic level
He said the government will revolutionise Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education from the foundation level in the new curriculum review.
As part of that, artificial intelligence (AI), engineering, coding, robotics, among others, will feature prominently at the foundation level in the new curriculum to make Ghanaian students competitive and to secure their future.
“We want to revolutionise STEM at the basic level to secure the future of our schoolchildren. I must first thank the Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who first conceptualised the idea,” the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said
BSTEM project
The launch brought together hundreds of students from senior high schools (SHSs) in the region.
The effort is aimed at equipping teachers with modern skills, digital tools, and innovative pedagogies to make STEM exciting and accessible to basic school-level learners.
It is also targeted at whipping up the interest of students at an early age and igniting their curiosity, creativity, and confidence to drive national development.
The project was launched in partnership with the Ministry of Education and itec Global, and is expected to benefit 8,800 teachers and 4,400 schools across the country.
Revive
Mr Iddrisu said the government had revived the BSTEM project, which had stalled for several years, to achieve its full potential.
He said the new curriculum had been carefully designed to create pathways for the learners to identify and develop their talents early.
"We are moving away from rote memorisation towards enquiry, problem-solving, and creativity, which will give every Ghanaian child the opportunity to nurture his or her potential, whether in science, technology, the arts, or entrepreneurship," he said.
Mr Iddrisu said the project represented one of the ministry’s most important priorities, strengthening STEM education from the basic level, where the foundation of learning was laid.
He recalled that between 2012 and 2016, under the leadership of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, who served as Minister of Education, a committee was established to review the challenges confronting the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in schools, particularly at the basic level.
Mr Iddrisu explained that out of that critical review, the Basic Science and Mathematics project was born to address the challenges directly.
"Over time, the project evolved to reflect global educational trends and to embrace the full breadth of STEM. This transformation led to the BSTEM project, which we are gathered here today to advance," he said.
Mr Iddrisu, however, said no matter how well designed, a curriculum could not succeed without modern teacher training that equips teachers with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to deliver STEM at all levels, hence the BSTEM programme.
Government ambition
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davies, said the aim of the government was to provide quality, accessible and relevant education to produce 21st-century graduates with balanced knowledge, skills, attitude and values.
He said the current education system focused on training entrepreneurs, innovators, life-long learners and global citizens.
