Utter contentment and a sigh of relief for primary school pupils in the Bia West District after communities in the area received their premiere Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. 
 
After taking turns to use an under-resourced, makeshift IT lab, pupils in the community can now access an equitably cutting-edge smart lab, established by Coral Reef Hub to promote STEM education in the area. 
 
For years, students in Elluokrom D/A JHS in the Bia West District relied on a makeshift metallic laboratory for IT teaching and learning.

The pupils took turns in using the under-resourced laboratory to abreast themselves of technological advancement.
 
“We used to go to the lab in queues. That made learning of computers tedious and boring. The room was not spacious enough to accommodate us,” a pupil said.

District Director of Education, Thomas Kwofie confirmed the inaccessibility to adequately resourced IT laboratories is impacting digital literacy and STEM education in the area.

“It’s not easy teaching ICT in this area given the huge numbers. The subject teachers are burdened with the huge class size and are unable to effectively teach the subject,” he said.
 
The Bia West Cocoa Life Cooperative in partnership with the Coral Reef Innovation Hub is providing a modern IT laboratory for the school.

The 25-seater laboratory is equipped with cutting-edge IT tools, including tablets, robotic materials and other ancillary components. 
 
The digital facility would expose pupils to digital literacy skills while ensuring inclusive and equitable access to education.

Managing Partner of Coral Reef Innovation Hub, Richard Osei Anim says the hub aims to create a world where all students have the opportunity to thrive in the digital age by fostering innovation, accessibility, collaboration, empowerment, and excellence.

“What are trying to do is to prepare the students we engage for international competitions. The students wouldn’t only be exposed to coding and robotics but also Artificial Intelligence,” he said.
 
Over 450 pupils in the district are expected to benefit from the centre weekly.

President of the Bia West MICL Cooperative, Adama Issah, believes the new centre would catalyse economic growth by attracting investors.

“By fostering the culture of innovation and collaboration, we can attract new businesses and investment, creating jobs and improving the overall quality of life of our communities,” he said.

The centre is expected to see an upscale to a 50-seater to accommodate more students in the subsequent years.

The initiative is part of the hub’s mission’s to revolutionize education in Africa by providing cutting-edge technology and training programs that equip students and teachers with the skills necessary for the jobs of the future.