Traditional education in Africa is failing, with Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education being the worst hit.
Students are mostly uninspired to pursue careers in STEM-related fields, due to the lack of human and physical infrastructure to facilitate learning in those fields, thereby leaving them unprepared for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st-century world.
In a quest to change this negative trend, TechGen Africa in collaboration with the India STEM Alliance has launched an initiative conceived and developed to promote STEM education in Africa by providing the right support and reward for students and other stakeholders.
The initiative is poised to support young Africans who are interested in acquiring the problem-solving skills that come with solid STEM education, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills, in order to surmount the challenges facing Africa in various sectors of the economy.
This collaborative initiative would ultimately position young African professionals to compete favourably with their colleagues globally. In addition, TechGen Africa has created a platform to make STEM education accessible and affordable to all, by connecting interested parents/guardians to a professional STEM educator irrespective of location.
A number of parents are already using these products, even during the lockdown period, with over 4000 teenagers already trained in STEM-related courses. The organization also runs a STEM entrepreneurship program—a 10-month accelerator program— which is churning out thought leaders in innovation and business.
The project has been awarded a 30Under30 sustainable solution for Africa by ‘WeForGood International’ and has been selected to be among 100 innovative projects in Africa by Pan-Africa youth spark. Owing to existing competence levels, a large number of jobs in Africa’s employment ecosystem have been outsourced to expatriates.
Initiatives like these will in the long run increase competitiveness and improve employability for Africans at home and abroad. And as a matter of cause-and-effect, improved STEM skills at the grassroots will equal greater employment rates, job retention, higher exports, and a direct positive impact on countries’ GDPs.
While STEM education may have been plagued by various challenges in the past, this initiative is one great step towards salvaging the situation, and it deserves the support and commendation of every stakeholder.
Furthermore, in Africa, literacy itself needs to be redefined and adapted to the African context, being more inclusive of and responsive to several areas of life, and more modified towards globalization and relevant human challenges.
Also, the reform of our secondary school curriculum in Africa should be focused more on African culture and values, with social unity taking a bottom-up approach on the basis of the needs, realities, and aspirations of African nations. Technologies, on their won part, should be focused to leverage rapid globalization and scaling solutions, as well as stimulate innovation.
Likewise, priority should be placed on “deep learning” in this new vision for literacy, as it emphasizes the vital role that learning plays in ensuring the acquisition of life skills and qualitative societal revolution in terms of social justice, harmonious living, and economic growth.
