The Education Minister has cut sod for the construction of the first Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) school in the country located in Sewua of the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region.

It is the first of 35 schools approved by the national budget to be constructed across the country.

Called the Lower and Upper Secondary School, it will focus on STEM education to create and produce a lot of engineers and problem solvers.

The STEM school will be equipped with many laboratories…physics, chemistry, biology, computer, robotics and geography labs.

Sector Minister, Dr Yaw Adutwum says work will start on nine of such facilities this year, whiles the next two years will see the rest constructed.

“The president’s focus is clear that Ghana’s education should be transformed to play its critical role in the socio-economic transformation in the country, and for that to happen, He needs to devote resources for STEM schools.”

This is the first one we are cutting sod for, and there will be more across the country.  STEM education is going to transform our socio-economic fortunes.

First Phase
Resident Engineer has revealed the first phase, which is supposed to be done in 10-months, starts this January.

This constitutes a completed multi-storey auditorium with its kitchen and dining hall, the three-story classroom block, two dormitories, and the staff flat.

The traditional authorities are excited and positive about the impact of this project and are expectant that this will inure to the economic growth of the people and the communities here.

Building local engineers

Dr Adutwum has reiterated the need to leverage these facilities to build local engineers to transform their respective communities.

“…one thing I have seen is that there is a difference between building the facilities and getting your people to benefit from it.

That is why I have committed to sponsoring 100 engineering students (last year I did 30 of them, this year I am doing 70), and they will be in several universities across the country.”

The Minister projects to have 100 engineers graduating from universities within the next four to five years.

“… I want Bosomtwe to have the higher per capita engineers in Ghana, but these schools are going to create the pipeline for future engineers of Bosomtwe and the engineers of Ghana”.