Schools urged to embrace STEM subjects

 

A section of learners who participated in an hour of Coding training at Pharo school. [Courtesy]

Junior Secondary Schools across the country have been urged to practical and expert learning in a bid to lay the foundation and prepare learners for science, technology, engineering and maths career paths.

In a flagship program aimed at triggering learners' interest in STEM, a hundred grade seven learners and tutors from Pharo School Nairobi participated in an Hour of Code in collaboration with coding experts to introduce learners to STEM career paths.

The school’s Country Director Dr Edward Rukwaro said under the coding programme, the school has created a conducive environment for as many students to develop interest and get equipped and mentored to pursue STEM in their Career path.

He said plans are underway to also involve the parents to support the learners in the journey.

“We believe in STEM a lot because of its potential to unlock Africa's potential and the chance to share its potential. Despite also looking at all the other aspects of education, STEM is focused because we believe everything around it has an impact on all our lives,” said Dr Rukwaro.

According to him, STEM has the potential to give learners a very strong foundation regardless of which particular pathway they take as they get into senior school, university and working life.

“We have managed to trigger their interest and they've been very creative with the task that we have given them and very innovative for that matter. I know for a fact that out of the hour of code that we have had today, we are going to have learners who will pursue IT,” said Rukwaro.

He argued that coding has some problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, which are important for learners in whatever career path.

A section of learners who participated in an hour of Coding training at Pharo school. [Courtesy]

Last year President William Ruto announced that through the Ministry of Education, some 42,000 teachers would undergo training in an ambitious move to introduce coding lessons across the country.

The initiative, aimed at mainstreaming the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) approved coding syllabus, sought to equip a generation of students with the essential skills for thriving in the digital economy.

With global demand for skilled coders on the rise, coding skills aim to position Kenya as a leader in digital education, creating a talent pipeline for the international tech market.

The coding training harnesses available expertise in computer science education and aligns with the government's vision for a knowledge-based economy.

Education experts also say that the introduction of coding at a young age aims to nurture critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills, preparing students for a variety of jobs beyond the tech sector.

Coding, or programming, involves creating instructions for a computer to follow.