School heads from across the country have been challenged to invest in STEM education to enhance and retain science skills. According to the Chief Executive officer for Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) there is a global demand for STEM workers, and as such, there is a call for stakeholders in education to promote and invest in STEM subjects.
Rising Demand for STEM Skills
The CEO said that STEM jobs were going to increase by a factor of two compared to other occupations in the next decade. Supplying workforce that meets this unprecedented need will indeed take collective effort on the part of all stakeholders in education to stimulate interest in STEM subjects and make relevant technologies available or tools to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
Promoting STEM Education
She addressed head teachers from 103 STEM schools countrywide during a consultative forum at CEMASTEA headquarters in Karen, Nairobi. She called for a curriculum that challenges students to take the STEM pathway. Out of this, with the new curriculum, 60 percent of students in Senior Schools are expected to pursue STEM related courses as they go up.
Vision and Mission of CEMASTEA
The centre’s vision, as expressed by the CEO, was to attain excellence in the Teacher Professional Development in Africa, with a mission to transform teaching through the continuous development of competencies for effective curriculum delivery and enhancement of the quality of education.
Alignment with Kenya’s Vision 2030
It is also important to note that this is what CEMASTEA does in keeping with the vision 2030, that puts emphasis on training and research for national development and well-being of its citizenry. It therefore aims at enhancing quality teaching of mathematics and science by improving pedagogical skills with the objective of developing relevant core competencies among young Kenyans in aspects like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, citizenship, self-efficacy, digital literacy, and lifelong learning.
Equipping Schools with STEM Resources
The centre is actively involved in the process of equipping public schools with STEM teaching kits, which include chemistry equipment, desktop computers, and three mathematics problem-solving books titled “How to Solve Problems,” “Mathematical Problem Solving,” and “Problem-Solving Strategies.”
Addressing Inequalities and Establishing a Strong Foundation
The projects target to lay a firm foundation in STEM education and bring about equity in the education system. The CEO emphasized that, over and above, it is important that even teachers form various communities practice for the eventual achievement of quality STEM education. Mentorship and guidance in STEM fields are very key for the youth to become interested in education opportunities available and global competitiveness, hence strengthening the pipeline of talent for the economy’s benefit.
Background of CEMASTEA
CEMASTEA was established in 2004 to provide In-Service Education and Training to Science and Mathematics teachers in Kenya and Africa. Building from the accomplishments made by the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education.