'Let's prioritise computer studies for our wards beyond typing and gaming' - STEM coordinator

The Ashanti Regional coordinator for STMIE and STEM education, Mr. Adams Issifu has urged Ghanaians, especially parents, guardians and teachers to make it a point that the modern wards do not go without computer knowledge.

According to him, ICT knowledge in modern life is very crucial and it is high time every serious parent made sure their wards acquired its knowledge.

"Computer knowledge is very crucial and it should always go beyond typing and playing games so that every child will know how the various software was created. If you look at the inventor of Facebook, you can see that computer knowledge has brought him this far. One advert on Facebook fetches him lots of money and these are the things we need to encourage our wards to know. Let us teach them that computer is not meant for playing games alone but we need to teach them coding, programming etc. We have lots of inventors amongst these children and this is the time to explore them," he said.

He however reiterated GES and the Ministry of Education's commitment to ensure STEM education goes far to unravel talents amongst Ghanaian children for the benefit of the entire world.

"This is their time and we need to assist them to see more creativities. This is the reason why the GES and the regional education directorate have determined to invest in Science Technology and Mathematics (STEM) education. We are going to make sure it progresses. We've therefore put up so many interventions. The government has built so many STEM schools and we are training Science and Maths teachers. We are also training ICT teachers in a way they can use ICT tools to teach our children in coding, robotics, artificial intelligence and many more". He revealed.

Mr. Adams disclosed this in an interview with pressmen during an 88th-anniversary celebration of the K.O Methodist Cluster of Schools in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital.

The regional STEM coordinator who attended the program as a guest speaker on behalf of the Ashanti regional director of education commended the school for celebrating the anniversary in aid of putting up an ICT centre.

"It is not easy to put up an ICT centre, and therefore having the dream to build one is a mark of excellence".

He finally pledged that the regional stakeholders were going to partner with the school to make its dream a reality.

Participating schools were the K.O Cluster of Schools which included K.O Methodist Primary A, B and C, K.O Methodist JHS 'A' and 'B' and the K.O Weslyan K.G.

Madam Grace Berko, the headmistress of the K.O Methodist Primary 'C', speaking on behalf of the other heads, said though each of the six schools was autonomous, their determination to put an ICT centre was unanimous.

According to her, it was very worrying that a big school like the K.O Cluster of schools lack ICT, hence the urgent need for them to get a new one. She however appealed to philanthropist individuals to come to their aid in their quest to put up this ultra-modern ICT Center.

Madam Berko who commended teachers within the school also entreated them to continue with the good work to ensure the bright future of the school children. She also urged students to take their studies seriously since that was the surest way to safeguard their future success.

Chairman of the School's Management Committee (SMC), Mr. Joseph Appiah Ampiani, adding his voice disclosed that it was very unfortunate that final-year students usually wrote exams on ICT but had no laboratory for proper tuition. He however revealed that a crunch meeting was held with the leadership of the Methodist Church where the school was permitted to use some space within the school to get the ICT Center.

He finally pleaded with the past students, parents, the church and other well-to-do individuals to support the school with the new ICT Center since it was very expensive.