By Kodjo Adams
Accra, July 10, GNA – Ghana and the Republic of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the second phase of the Digital Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Project.
The Republic of Korea will provide US$28 million to support the six-year project, which will run from 2026 to 2032.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, signed the agreement on behalf of Ghana at a ceremony in Accra.
The second phase will expand STEM interventions from two to four regions- Central, Eastern, Ashanti and Northern.
The project also includes the construction of the Accra STEM Park, the strengthening of the Northern STEM Resource Centre and the integration of digital technologies into STEM education.
Mr Iddrisu described education as the cornerstone of national development, saying every investment in education was an investment in Ghana’s future.
He said the first phase of the project, implemented between 2021 and 2025 in the Central and Eastern Regions, had recorded significant improvements in learning outcomes.
Participating schools achieved a 22.6 percentage-point increase in the Basic Education Certificate Examination Mathematics pass rate and a 10.5 percentage-point improvement in Science.
Mr Iddrisu said the second phase, dubbed Digital STEM for All, would equip learners with digital skills through the introduction of robotics, coding, electronics and artificial intelligence at the basic school level.
He said the Ministry of Education would launch a revised curriculum for kindergarten to junior high school before September 30, with digital education as a key component.
The Minister expressed appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for their continued support and called on stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
Mr Gyongsig Park, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ghana, said his country’s economic transformation had been driven by investment in education and human capital, making education a key pillar of the country’s development cooperation.
He said the success of the first phase had informed the decision to support a second phase with greater emphasis on digital STEM education and expressed confidence in the Ministry of Education’s ability to implement the project successfully.
Mr Dong Hyun Lee, KOICA Country Director, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s education sector.
He said integrating digital technology into STEM education would be a major milestone in preparing Ghanaian learners for the future, and assured the Government of Ghana of KOICA’s continued support to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Kodjo Adams