Revisiting STEM Education as Vital for National Growth

In view of the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to the actualisation of any nation’s development plan, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited (a Chevron company) and the other Agbami parties recently organised a STEM symposium where stakeholders discussed ways of prioritising STEM and making the subjects attractive to students and teachers. Uchechukwu Nnaike reports

It has been said in many fora how important Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is and its connection to global competitiveness. However, Nigeria is yet to accord STEM its desired attention; students are not adequately motivated to pursue careers in STEM field while teachers are not properly trained or provided with adequate facilities to teach the subjects effectively.

To proffer solution to these issues and other challenges confronting STEM education in the country, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited (a Chevron company) and the other Agbami parties recently held the Agbami STEM Symposium and Exhibition at the Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University.
The event, organised in commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day, also witnessed the presentation of awards to winners of the Agbami STEM Quiz competition.

The symposium with the theme, ‘Promoting Excellence in STEM Teaching and Learning’, was organised to identify issues in Nigeria’s STEM education reforms and provide strategies to ensure that STEM education is elevated to a national priority; suggest improved or alternative learning approaches in STEM education, including ways to strengthen the adaptation of these approaches to the education sector; encourage and recommend engagement opportunities for how Nigerian businesses can effectively support STEM education as part of their commitment to corporate social responsibility.

In his remarks, the Director, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Mr. Richard Kennedy, stressed the said for Nigerian youths to develop their capabilities in STEM, adding that to succeed in this new information-based and technology-driven global society, Nigerian youths need to develop their capabilities in STEM to a level far exceeding what was considered acceptable in the past.

He maintained that science, technology, engineering and mathematics are undeniably some of the key subjects to study now because of the need for Nigeria to evolve the scientific and technological innovation needed to face the challenge of globalisation and build an evolving knowledge-based economy. More importantly, he added that STEM education is directly linked to global competitiveness and future economic prosperity.

While charting a future path for STEM education in Nigeria, the panellists comprising seasoned educators and entrepreneurs reiterated the urgent need for students to develop interest in STEM, adding that these subjects are key to national development. They urged government, parents and teachers to stimulate the interest of their wards towards science subjects, as developed countries did not build bridges with sports but through STEM.
They said the ministry of education could rework the curriculum and re-engineer the structural system in such a way to lay emphasis on STEM and warned that things will remain the way they are in the country if an urgent step is not taken to prioritise STEM education.

Also speaking, the Manager of Communication for Chevron Business in Nigeria, Mr. Shola Adebawo, urged stakeholders to stimulate the interest of students in science and not to see STEM as difficult subjects, stressing that STEM is in everyday life and stakeholders must create awareness for students to develop passion for it. According to him, what this country could do is to ensure that everybody has a role to play in driving a sustainable science education. “We can rework the curriculum and re-engineer the structural system in such a way to give emphasis to STEM.”

He said teachers need to teach STEM in such a way to attract students to the subjects, and not to run away from them or see STEM as difficult.
Adebawo, who disclosed the position of Agbami on STEM education, pointed out that Agbami is sponsoring the symposium and the series of activities in support of the study of STEM. He explained that because of their passion for science, the Agbami parties have awarded scholarships to drive science education in schools and have also invested in significant infrastructure, particularly science education infrastructure.

“We have invested in 33 fully equipped science laboratories in different schools in different states around the country. These are all physics, chemistry and biology equipment and these investments are to stimulate interest in the study of science education in Nigerian schools.”

He noted that in support of the World Teachers’ Day, the Agbami parties have demonstrated that they have strong support for education, adding, “this is one of the big areas of our investment. In our support for education, we have discovered that the future of the world is technology-driven and technology is science.
In his keynote address titled ‘Integrating STEM and 21st Century Skills- Innovative Approaches to STEM Education’, the Executive Director, Science Teachers Association of Nigeria, Professor Ben Akpan said the problem of science education in Nigeria is infrastructure. He identified economic, social and cultural as some of the benefits that STEM provides for the society.

“The science community believes that STEM is the greatest value to man and its environment. It has a dual mandate, which is to ensure that everybody has a basic literacy in science and to prepare future engineers, medical doctors and others in the society.
“We are in this present situation in our country because STEM education is not in the forefront. How many of us know and have an idea of the universe? Many countries globally are manufacturing things, but sadly in Nigeria we can’t even fix a door. We are getting to an era of artificial intelligence, where computers are almost taking over from human beings, as computers are now taking design cues from the brain.

“The world is moving, but from our side here, we are static as nothing is happening. People talk about the curriculum, but I can tell you that is not the problem. I have travelled all over the world for science exhibitions and I do see their curriculum and it is not about it, but actually what they do. Infrastructure here is a major deficit in Nigeria. It is critical in science. We have people who schooled here and when they go out, they excel. Teachers need to be motivated so that they will be able to engage and guide students in STEM.”

On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of Global International College, Mrs. Abolaji Osime, stressed that the country is in need of STEM graduates. “The world has moved to knowledge-based economy. We need people who can provide solutions in Nigeria. We need to restructure our education sector because STEM is the future of Nigeria. STEM is integration, because we need to teach students problem- solving skills now.”

Meanwhile, Lead-Forte Gate College and Baptist Girls’ Academy came first and second respectively in the 2017 Agbami STEM quiz competition, while Majidun Senior Grammar School came third.