By Funmilayo Adeyemi
Abuja – Hajia Amina Abubakar, Director, Attarbiyyah STEM School, Abuja has called on the Federal Government to review the educational system to include Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects (STEM), from basic education. Abubakar made the suggestion in Abuja on Saturday at the school’s Open House and Islamiyya STEM Programme.She said that there was great concern for the country’s educational sector judging by the number of students produced, who are classified as unemployable.“That situation needs to be addressed by introducing STEM to curriculum starting from the primary to tertiary institutions.“The whole education system should be reviewed. It should be more practical than theory.“The government shoud review the educational curriculum so that more practicals will be introduced and not just theoretical aspects of the subjects.“We have forgotten the technical aspect and that is what has led us to where we are today with everything we use being imported into the country.“If we don’t concentrate on invention, we will still be importing. Once we practicalise our education, we are going to invent and produce. Government should review education and make sure that technology and practical aspects of science are introduced, right from the beginning.”Similarly, Mr Abdullahi Candido, Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), said that every sector should also focus on the digital ways of developing every area.Candido, who was pleased with the level of inventions made by the students, pledged to partner with the school and every other STEM-oriented establishment to replicate such ideas in the territory.“The school focuses on achieving two main educational pursuits – the religious aspect and the digital aspect. It emphasises digital ideas that are available in the modern countries. So the child is going to be given the best.”Meanwhile, Hajia Ramatu Tijjani, Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said that the school, which also focuses on religious education, would be a channel through which children would be taught moral values.Tijjani, who was represented by her Special Adviser, Mr Yahaya Girinya, said that morality plays a key role in the development of positive values and must always be emphasised.“I am highly impressed with what I have seen. There is a great future for our country because the children are going to be brought up in the best manner.“One of the greatest challenge we have is immorality, unfortunately morality is not taught in English language or Mathematics. But morality is taught in religion, hence the need to emphasise it.”In her remarks, Mrs. Fatimah Oreagba, Academic Coordinator of the school, said that there was a need to prepare the children for the 21st century through introducing them to technology and skill acquisition.She added that apart from the school curriculum which focused on British and Nigerian educational system, provisions had also been made to accommodate coding and robotics to inspire the creativity of the students.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the school, which is the first faith-based STEM institution in the country, will start its academic year from September 9. (NAN)
