Parliament has approved an GH₵88,795,645 loan agreement for the construction, supply and installation of educational equipment and training to ten Regional Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education (STEAM) Centres.
Presenting the report on the floor of Parliament, the Chairman for the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and Member of Parliament for Jaman North, Mr. Stephen Siaka, indicated that the objective of the project is to support Government’s policy to improve on the quality of mathematics, and science teaching and learning methodologies.
He explained that the project will cater for the construction of ten Regional STEAM Centres, supply and installation of STEAM equipment to the ten Regional STEAM Centres, organisation of National Virtual Robotics and Coding Competitions, assessment of STEAM pedagogical managers and pedagogical training programmes for managers of the STEAM Centres.
Mr. Siaka again informed the Plenary that the project will also focus on STEAM teacher training, mentoring and integration, license for the STEAM cloud based on robotics coding curriculum and the provision of STEAM Learning and Curriculum Management Systems (LMS).
In the report presented to the Plenary, the Committee observed that STEAM education is typically based on finding a solution to a real life problem, and that it is planned and designed both in architectural and in pedagogic terms to cater for as many students in schools as possible.
The report showed that the STEAM Centres will be interactive Centres that will enrich the academic contents offered by the formal training for students between the ages of five and eighteen years.
According to the Ministry of Education, the Centres will offer a variety of selected interactive learning environments with a large range of topics including science and technology, engineering, mathematics, robotics, among others for students in public secondary schools.
On procurement process, the Committee noted a letter dated November, 30, 2018 and March 15, 2019, issued by the Central Tender Review Committee of the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education, that an International Competitive Tendering process was undertaken to identify a competent service provider for the project.
Following the tendering process, the Ministry of Education sought the approval of the Public Procurement Authority, to engage ROBO Group T.E.K. Limited of Israel for the construction and educational works for the ten Regional STEAM Centres.
On approval by the Finance Ministry, the Committee noted that by a letter dated June 8, 2018, the Ministry of Finance granted approval to the Ministry of Education in line with Section 33(1)(a) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
Value for money audit was also conducted by crown agents after the Education Committee enquired whether value for money audit was carried on the contract.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
