When Albert Einstein, the German Mathematician and Physicist, said: “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one learned in school,” he undoubtedly did not know about the existence of these two communities in Ghana – Berekuso and Teiman.
Indeed, the oft quoted Physicist could not have reckoned that several decades later, these two towns would host educational institutions that deliver the kind of education he espoused in the afore-mentioned quote – education that is not only beneficial to the beneficiary, but is tailored to the needs of society; skill-based training.
Actually, Berekuso and Teiman are located separately, geographically. The former in the Eastern Region and the latter in Greater Accra Region. However, through the initiative of an American-trained Mechanical and Materials Engineer, Prof. Fred McBagonluri and his partners, the two towns have been united for a common cause – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) education. This is to be delivered by two schools; SPARXLX (located in Berekuso) and iSTEAM Academy (in Teiman).
Sparx Learning Xperience (SPARXLX)
The serene and hilly environs of Berekuso, where SPARXLX is located, is approximately an hour’s drive from Accra Central and offers a very conducive surrounding for effective teaching and learning.
The architectural design of the school does not just look attractive, but it also has all it takes to deliver top-notch STEAM education in a manner that delights students and their sponsors.
With a vision to become “a world-class institution that discovers, empowers and unleashes creative, innovative and entrepreneurial talents to advance society”, the raison d’être of SPARXLX is “to provide a transformative educational experience that embodies compassion for others, limitless creativity, enterprising leadership, and the courage to positively reshape Africa’s narrative”.
iSTEAM Academy
Teiman, where iSTEAM Academy is located, is 22 kilometres from Accra Central, thus very accessible to prospective students, their parents and guardians.
The ‘i’ that precedes STEAM in the name of the school stands for Innovation. Thus, the school hopes to be recognised as a leader in STEAM education with innovative programmes and informed engagement strategies that empower for future success in a dynamic world. Its purpose is, therefore, to “provide an innovative environment that prepares our students for a Dynamic World”, say the founders.
And the school is structured just for that purpose. The well-intentioned architecture is designed to be breathable and environmentally friendly to offset communicable diseases among the students.
iSTEAM Academy also boasts a secured environment, where the safety and protection of each child is prioritised. A home-friendly environment, where focus is on the individual child as well as small class sizes to enhance facilitator-student engagement, is provided. Any fear of one’s ward being bullied is assuaged by the fact that a democratised learning environment – where student–facilitator interaction is cordial – is guaranteed.
Alignment with government policy
It is heartwarming to note that the approach to education adopted by the two schools finds expression in the government’s quest to strengthen what it refers to as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education.
At the maiden Road Show on the STEM in Accra in June this year, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, emphasised the importance of equipping Ghanaian students with essential skills for the fourth industrial revolution which represents a fundamental change in the way humans live, work and relate to one another. It is a new era in human development, enabled by extraordinary technological advances.
The theme for the event, which aimed to promote STEM education among Ghanaian students, was ‘Imagine, Explore, Create: Unleashing the Power of STEM’. Dr. Adutwum said: “The world went through the first, the second and then to the third industrial revolution, which is the era of computer science, and now we are in the fourth industrial revolution where there is a merger of biological and the electrical, where things are changing”.
The Minister of Education was reported to have estimated that in the next 10 years, about 30 percent of jobs would be done by robots and Artificial intelligence (AI) would change the way of doing many things. “The question still remains; how do we prepare our youths to meet this ever-changing landscape?” Dr. Adutwum queried.
Evidently, per their visions and missions touted earlier, SPARXLX and iSTEAM Academy provide the apt answer to this question.
Let’s start with SPARXLX, which is a subsidiary of Adepa BV of the Netherlands. The founders anticipate that the dynamic and exponential changes required to thrive in industry 4.0 are best addressed by the promises that STEAM education offers. The industrial language of the future would have its grammar and composition defined and shaped by STEAM skills.
They vouch that “SPARXLX shall be a co-educational day, regular and flexible boarding facility and will cater for crèche through JSS. As a paradigm-shifting institution with the focus on preparing young adults for the exciting world of STEAM education, SPARXLX is committed to providing a dynamic and sustainable educational ecosystem to advance the cause of STEAM education in Ghana and subsequently, in the sub-region”.
The promise is, therefore, to churn out graduands with “ability to reason, to interpret data, to analyse complex situations, to model and provide lasting solutions to unanticipated problems. We will provide a child-friendly, hands-on, instructor-engaged and evidence-based learning modalities to ensure best outcomes”.
With regards to iSTEAM Academy, in order not to add on to the growing number of youthful Ghanaians who leave school and go in search of jobs, the founders say this school “…instills an entrepreneurial mindset in its students through a dynamic curriculum, including hands-on work experience and individualised career-planning, to develop the personal qualities that predict future professional success”.
This objective is achieved through the right pedagogy delivered through “experienced facilitators with international scholarship and experience. Our first-in-class-premium STEAM education is designed to prepare children (KG–12) for the dynamic and changing workplace and further studies. Through the use of world-class experiential lab-engineered curriculum to sustain students’ interests, we demystify learning, adapt to different learning styles and arm kids for future success”, they assure.
With regard to syllabus, iSTEAM Academy is anchored in an integrated curriculum that draws from global best practices and contextualised within the one approved by the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education.
Most importantly, both institutions focus on the 5E + IA instructional model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate, Intervene and Accelerate.
From the foregoing, the case is made. Only two schools in Ghana offer world-class STEAM education – SPARXLX and iSTEAM Academy. They may not be located in the ‘Ivy league’ communities of Ghana, but the quality they promise will definitely match the educational institutions classified as such.
So, are you a parent or guardian hungry for a globally benchmarked, ‘STEAMy hot’ skill-based education served in Ghana? Then, like that person in the late writer, poet and playwright, Ama Ata Aidoo’s ‘Dilemma of a Ghost’, your options are limited – Berekuso or Teiman.
