The Art Teachers Association of Ghana (ATAG) is calling for the inclusion of Arts into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education policy for tertiary institutions.
ATAG has asked the government to consider a paradigm shift from the current Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) policy to a new ‘Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) system.
According to them the inclusion of Arts would make the education system robust and produce the best and most innovative brains to become scientists, engineers, product designers and architects to drive the development of Ghana.
They also posit that the move will engender creative and inventive learners for accelerated national development.
The president of ATAG, Dr. Osuanyi Quaicoo Essel, speaking at a press conference at the campus of the University of Education, Winneba, said that with “STEAM” education students are presented with a more authentic vision of Science in Arts and the Arts in Science and advanced countries such as UK, China, USA, Malaysia, France Singapore have all rigorously shifted from STEM to STEAM.
Dr. Quaicoo Essel also pointed out that, STEM education without the inclusion of Arts is incomplete and meaningless.
“Should government heed our call to add the Arts into STEM, it will be very beneficial. We all crave development for the nation but without the Arts, the development will be incomplete. You can’t take Arts out because everything about life is Arts. It is the artist who designs and models the cars for the engineer to add on so without Arts it is incomplete…In Korea without Arts you can’t proceed to the University…”, he said in Twi.
On his part, the Patron of ATAG, Dr. Kwadwo Amissah, stated that TVET with the inclusion of Arts is the solution to Ghana’s rising youth unemployment since research studies have shown that students in STEAM classrooms tend to outperform their counterparts in STEM-only establishments. This makes STEAM the recommended pathway for the holistic education of the Ghanaian learner.
“If we want the nation to develop the right way to go is TVET. This includes Arts-related programmes such as ceramics, sculpturing, jewelry, leather works, basketry, textiles, painting, graphic designing and a host of others. The College of Arts at both KNUST and the University of Education, Winneba are doing amazing works so we are hoping for a reform in policy to run TVET at full capacity.”
