Funmilayo Adeyemi
The Safe Heritage Crest Academy has launched the STEM Challenge to encourage students to develop innovative solutions to societal problems.
Dr Bamidele Arolasafe, the school’s Chief Operating Officer, spoke during a STEM competition among students in Abuja on Thursday, emphasising the importance of STEM skills for a productive life.
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Arolasafe explained that the school had integrated STEM into its curriculum as a subject to help students explore their inherent skills.
“People who have made great inventions, like Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, had the privilege of being exposed to certain concepts from an early age.
“They recognised challenges in life and made up their minds to solve them.
“For this challenge, we are not just focused on the competition; we are more concerned with what the students can learn and absorb, using the competition as a tool to teach them these concepts,” he said.
He added that the challenge was open to all academic classes, as no age was too young to develop essential skills.
“The programme is designed to encourage our students to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) because we do not want to produce students who rely solely on government or white-collar jobs.
“At this stage, we believe they should be exposed to the spirit of innovation and problem-solving, as many of the world’s biggest enterprises were born out of the desire to solve a problem.
“If these children start identifying challenges in society and their environment and begin working on solutions, problem-solving will become a natural part of their lives as they grow older,” he said.
He called on the government to support STEM education not only in public schools but also in private schools, as all students are part of the nation’s future.
Similarly, Mrs Bolanle Moses, the school’s administrator, said the challenge was designed to help students identify problems and challenges in society.
Moses stated that students should not only recognise societal issues but also take an active role in finding solutions.
“The world is changing rapidly, technology is taking over everything, and new problems are emerging everywhere. We need to equip students with the necessary skills.
“If we are to manage and solve these problems, we must align with technology. That is why STEM has been incorporated into our curriculum.
“We teach it at all levels, and today’s event is a showcase of that. However, we do not plan to limit it to just this competition, we intend to take it further,” she said.
A parent, Mrs Patience Oju-Olawale, called on the federal government to provide financial support to schools and make STEM education compulsory for children at all levels.
