At a handing-over ceremony in Accra yesterday, Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Obenewah Essuah, said the delivery of STEM kits marked a major step in revitalising a programme that first took root between 2012 and 2016.

“This initiative has evolved into the current B-STEM programme as national educational needs expanded. Though delayed over the years, it was fully revitalised in late 2024 with renewed energy and clear direction,” she stated.

Mrs Essuah highlighted that Ghana’s curriculum encourages inquiry-based learning, creativity, and problem-solving, all of which require modern tools to make lessons practical. She explained that the STEM kits, laboratory tools, digital devices, and learning materials would equip teachers to guide learners through experiments and real-world applications.

“The true value of this equipment depends on how effectively teachers use it. That is why the Ministry is pairing the rollout with continuous training for teachers,” she added.

She also pointed to global shifts driven by artificial intelligence, robotics, renewable energy, and biotechnology, stressing that Ghana must nurture a generation of critical thinkers and innovators from the basic school level to compete globally.

Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, emphasised that fostering STEM interest must begin in primary and junior high schools, noting that over 350 teachers have already been trained in modern STEM pedagogy, classroom application, and peer-teaching methods.

He confirmed that an additional 1,000 junior high schools and 4,400 primary schools would receive STEM equipment under Phase One of the expansion.

“The long-term vision is to extend the programme to kindergarten, creating a continuous STEM learning pathway from early childhood to higher education,” he said, urging schools to safeguard the equipment and ensure it translates into improved learning outcomes.

iTEC Global Chief Executive Officer, Sam Godding, provided details of the training and distribution, explaining that regional advisors trained district trainers nationwide, who would then train one mathematics and one science teacher in each school.

Each school receives over 1,000 items, including test tubes, beakers, calculators, geoboards, polygon sets, robotics kits, laptops, projectors, and teaching aids.

“So far, equipment has been supplied to about 3,000 schools, with an additional 500 to be completed soon. When fully implemented across three phases, the project will reach 10,000 junior high schools, 14,000 primary schools, and 14,000 kindergartens,” he said.

Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, Hajia Katumi Nagtomahttah, commended the Ministry, GES, and iTEC for the support, assuring proper distribution, effective use, and regular maintenance of the materials. She urged teachers, headteachers, district directors, and learners to embrace the initiative, describing the equipment as an investment in the future of Ghana’s children and a boost to practical science and mathematics education.