The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Tuesday handed over a cheque for $1,048,200 for Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM) to the Ghana Education Service (GES) in Accra. This is part of the support for the eight million dollar Girls' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by KOICA project being implemented in 10 districts in the Central and Eastern Regions of Ghana. The Girls' STEM by KOICA project is a four-year gender-responsive pedagogy project that generally seeks to improve the competency of Junior High School (JHS) girls in Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) education in the Central and Eastern Regions, across 10 districts, five districts in each region. It is also to enhance the competencies of Mathematics and Science teachers, promoting gender sensitivity among education officials, and improving the academic achievement and graduation rates of female Junior high school(JHS) pupils. A total of 400 Junior High Schools, 200 from each participatin g region, are beneficiaries of this ongoing project. Mr Donghyun Lee, Country Director of KOICA, noted that there was a huge gap between the number of girls interested in the study of Mathematics and Science to boys. He said investing in the education of young girls was an investment in the future to bridge the gaps by empowering them with the knowledge and skills needed for a brighter future. Mr Lee said the project would bridge the gaps, inspire innovation, and cultivate a generation of empowered women, who would shape the future of STEM. 'The Girls STEM by KOICA project embodies our collective commitment to empowering young minds, breaking barriers, and fostering inclusivity in education. 'Today, we come together not only to review the progress made so far, but also to witness a pivotal moment as we hand over essential Teaching and Learning Materials that will further enhance the educational experience for our beneficiaries,' the Country Director stated. Mr Eric Nkansah, Director, GES, said there had been 'so much drive', investment and promotion of STEM education in the country. He said STEM was important in the fourth industrial revolution in transforming any country, hence, the younger ones must be trained in the 21st century way. Mr Nkansah said KOICA had been collaborating with the GES in supporting girls in about 400 schools across the country. '…And what they are doing with these girls is actually transformative. I am sure you have seen the demonstration that have been made here,' the Director stated. The exhibition, he said, showed how the girls were putting the theories that they had learned in class into action, which revealed the potential of a Ghanaian child when supported. 'So far, the Midline reports that has just been presented to us indicates that there has been massive improvement in the study of Science. 'We are grateful to KOICA and the Korean government for this massive support. It is our prayer that we are able to do this and then even scale it across the country,' Mr Nkansah sa id. KOICA was established in 1991 by the Republic of Korea as a governmental organisation to implement the Korean government's grant aid and technical programmes. KOICA Ghana Office has been supporting and implementing developmental programmes in Ghana in four key sectoral areas - Public Health, Agricultural, Rural Development, Education and Governance. Source: Ghana News Agency
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