NAS Advocates for STEAM Education
A consortium of the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) and Nigerian Young Academy (NYA) in partnership with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) seeks to promote integrative Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education programmes in pre-tertiary schools in Nigeria,
Sequel to the successful advocacy visits to different stakeholders in the educational sector on the 12th and 13th of September, 2023 in Abuja, The Nigerian Academy of Science hosted Policy Review and Implementation Workshops under the STEAM Education Project. These were held on the 14th and 15th; then 16th and17th of November 2023, respectively, at the Reiz Continental Hotel in Abuja.
The policy review workshop was held to review pertinent key policies (new and existing) and also to discuss strategies for their implementation. The implementation workshop was to discuss the roles of stakeholders in the implementation of the policies for an integrated STEAM education in Nigeria as well as to identify strategies for resource mobilization for STEAM education and the improvement of the standards of schools in Nigeria.
Participants at the workshops included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Also in attendance were the Academy’s President, Professor Ekanem Braide FAS, some Fellows of the Academy, Vice President and Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Vice President and Fellows/Members of the Nigerian Young Academy, NGOs and media representatives.
Integrating the Arts activities into the already existing Science, Technology. Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum can decidedly enliven the curriculum content, make lesson outcomes more successful and interesting to both teachers and students, and also inspire creative thinking into the teaching-learning process.
The workshops provided a holistic examination of STEM and STEAM education in Nigeria, paving the way for actionable reforms and strategic advancements in the nation’s educational landscape.