Minister scales up STEM programme in Bosomtwe District
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, is not only leading the charge in the government's STEM educational programme but setting a personal example by sponsoring a total of 91 students within the Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti Region to pursue science related programmes within two years.
The project, which kicked-off last year with 30 students, has scaled up to 61, including 10 females.
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Eight of the beneficiaries are pursuing medicine and 62 are in engineering-related programmes.
This year's 10 females is an improvement of last year's seven as more females are encouraged to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes.
Described by many as the hub of Ghana's STEM programme, with the minister building a modern facility and gifting it to the government, Dr Adutwum dispatched the beneficiaries to the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi to focus on the transformation of the presentation.
Each beneficiary was presented with ‘comprehensive’ personal effects, academic materials, fully paid tuition fees and other auxiliary expenditure.
They are expected to think outside the box and use their academic conceptional framework to develop problem-solving concepts.
Hostels
The minister announced that four acres of land had been acquired at UMAT for the construction of hostel facilities for students from the Bosomtwe District.
Speaking to the students, Dr Adutwum said his vision was to ensure that the district got over 100 engineers in the next 10 years.
He explained that his commitment to support the youth was part of his broader plan to help the growth of education in the district and the country as a whole.
He charged the students to make good use of the opportunity and study hard to justify the investment made in them.
Dr Adutwum said he was optimistic that after completing their respective programmes, the students would be in a position to support the development of the Bosomtwe District and the nation.
He advised them to be disciplined and exhibit a high sense of self-confidence in the pursuit of their academic excellence.
The Bosomtwe District Chief Executive, Mr Joseph Kwasi Asuming, expressed appreciation to the minister for the “wonderful initiative” and told the students to take full advantage of the programme since education was a vital asset.
