Boosting BSTEM programme: ITEC Global presents science, maths equipment to GES
The government’s flagship education programme, Basic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (BSTEM), took shape yesterday with the presentation of a large quantity of equipment to the Greater Accra Regional Directorate of Education.
A United Kingdom-based technology manufacturing company, ITEC Global Ltd, made a presentation of a wide range of equipment, including laptops, science, mathematics and robotics kits valued at thousands of dollars.
The items were handed over to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, who subsequently presented them to the Regional Director of Education, Hajia Katumi Natongmah Atta, for onward distribution to the district directorates, which would, in turn, deliver them to the beneficiary schools.
BSTEM seeks to strengthen STEM education at the basic school level by equipping teachers with modern skills and providing schools with resources for subjects such as coding, AI, and robotics.
The programme aims to foster curiosity and critical thinking in young students and is a national investment to build a future workforce skilled in STEM fields.
Speaking at the programme, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, announced that so far the BSTEM project had equipped over 3,100 schools across the country with STEM equipment and trained more than 650 teachers in modern STEM pedagogy, classroom application and peer teaching methods.
He explained that the initiative aimed to strengthen foundational STEM education at the basic school level, preparing learners for future technical, vocational and scientific fields.
The impact of the initiative, the DG explained, included enhanced teaching capacity, greater student engagement in STEM subjects, and equitable access to equipment nationwide and further announced that the project planned to supply an additional 1,000 junior high schools (JHS) with BSTEM equipment.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ITEC Global, Sam Godding, explained that the distribution, which was in phases, marked the near completion of the project.
He said approximately 3,000 schools had been supplied so far, with about 500 more schools remaining to receive their distributions, adding that the final list of schools and districts was being compiled to conclude the project.
Mr Godding indicated that with the distribution, it was now the responsibility of schools, teachers and students to demonstrate returns on the investment by ensuring that the equipment facilitates quality learning.
Restoring momentum
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, Mrs Essuah, who gave the genesis of the BSTEM in the country, explained that it was revamped at the end of last year, adding that the delivery of the equipment marked a major milestone in restoring momentum and fully realising the vision of the programme.
For her part, Hajia Natongmah Atta expressed gratitude to Mr Iddrisu and Prof. Davis for their exceptional leadership and continued support and commitment to education and social change in the country.
