A former Minister of Education and the current Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called for a renewed national focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and the promotion of critical thinking over rote learning.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen on June 17, 2025, Dr Adutwum stressed that Ghana’s reliance on memorisation in the classroom is holding back national progress.

He argued that education should not merely be about retaining information, but rather about applying knowledge through analytical and creative thinking.

“If we had started this 60 years ago, we would have been far advanced by now. We think education is just about memorising, but that’s why I said at the UN that we can’t memorise our way out of poverty; we can critically think our way out of poverty”, he stated.

Dr Adutwum urged a national rethink of educational methods, warning that the traditional ‘chew and pour’ approach cannot produce the skilled workforce needed for economic transformation.

He pointed to countries such as Singapore and South Korea as examples of how education systems focused on innovation and critical thinking have driven rapid development.

Dr Adutwum said Ghana is lagging behind in building a strong technical and professional workforce but insisted that the situation can be reversed with the right policies and implementation.

“That is why I don’t agree with those who say Ghana can never get better. If we adopt the right formulas and take them seriously, Ghana will develop,” he indicated.

MRA/AE

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