By Kodjo Adams
Accra, Sept. 10, GNA- The Ghana Education Service (GES) has called for sustained investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to equip young people with the skills required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Professor Smile Dzisi, the Deputy Director in charge of Management Services, GES, made call on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the 26th edition of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ) in Accra.
She commended participating schools, contestants, teachers, coaches, parents and partners for contributing to the success of the competition.
Professor Dzisi said the NSMQ had, over its 33-year history, evolved beyond an academic competition into a national platform that had inspired generations of young Ghanaians to embrace science and mathematics.
The competition, she said, had helped transform science and mathematics from subjects often perceived as difficult or intimidating into areas of curiosity, creativity, discovery and possibility.
“The NSMQ has been far more than a quiz. It has grown into a season, an institution and a calendar,” she said, adding that the competition had consistently demonstrated the intellectual ability and potential of Ghanaian students.
The Professor said the success of the NSMQ came at a time when the Ministry of Education and the GES were placing renewed emphasis on STEM education as a critical driver of national development.
“If Ghana is to compete meaningfully in an increasingly technological and AI-driven world, we must equip our young people not only with knowledge, but with the ability to think critically, solve problems, innovate, collaborate and apply what they learn to real-life challenges,” she said.
She referred to the STEM programme for Basic Schools, launched by President John Dramani Mahama, as an initiative aimed at exposing children to practical science and technology learning from an early age.
The objective was to move learners beyond memorising scientific facts and mathematical formulas and encourage them to ask questions, experiment, test ideas and develop solutions.
“We want them to ask why, to ask how, and importantly, to ask what if. For it is in a single ‘what if’ question that inventions begin,” she said.
She noted that a brilliant child in a rural or underserved community possessed the same potential to become a scientist, engineer, mathematician, technologist or innovator as a child in Accra or any other major city.
She pledged to continue working towards expanding opportunities, facilities and resources so that geography, gender and socioeconomic circumstances would not determine how far a young person could progress in STEM.
Prof Dzisi welcomed the growing participation and visibility of girls in science and mathematics, urging stakeholders to create an environment in which girls could pursue STEM careers with confidence.
She commended PrimeTime Limited, the organisers of the NSMQ, for sustaining the competition and building a platform that had captured the imagination of the nation for more than three decades.
Prof Dzisi encouraged the three finalists to view their participation as an achievement regardless of the eventual outcome.
The three finalists are Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC-Legon), an eight-time NSMQ champion, St Augustine’s College, appearing in the grand finale for the third consecutive time and Accra Academy, the first appearance at the NSMQ grand finale.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Kodjo Adams
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]