Stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and pupils, have been encouraged to embrace innovative education as Springs Preparatory School, a basic school located in Sokode, a suburb of Ho, the Volta Regional Capital, celebrates 25 years of its establishment.
Speaking at the event, which took place on Saturday, the 20th of July, under the theme “Innovative Education, Endless Possibilities. Honouring 25 Years of Academic Excellence,” the guest speaker, Mrs. Diana Mensah, Executive Director for Skills and Entrepreneurial Development, entreated all stakeholders, including government, school authorities, teachers, parents, and students, to embrace innovative learning that will help students compete effectively on the global market.
Addressing the congregation of parents, teachers, alumni, chiefs, leaders, and community members gathered at the event, she indicated that “the need for innovation in our educational system today is inevitable and a necessary response to today’s rapidly evolving world, where the challenges we face are becoming increasingly complex.” She stressed that “It has become imperative that, if we want to avoid preparing students for a world that no longer exists, then we have no choice but to embrace the need for a paradigm shift in education more urgently than ever before.”
“Traditional educational models, while valuable in their own right, are no longer sufficient to prepare our learners for the realities of the 21st century. We must embrace a new way of thinking, one that empowers our students to become active participants in their own learning journeys,” said Mrs. Mensah.
She therefore called on the government and relevant authorities to provide the needed infrastructure, equipment, and gadgets required to execute STEM education, ensure teachers are well-trained to teach the new curriculum effectively, encourage parents to ensure their children learn at home and not abuse or misuse technological gadgets, and for children to take advantage of the new curriculum shift.
According to Mrs. Mensah, who is also an entrepreneurship tutor, the possibilities afforded by innovative education are truly endless.
She went further to say, “Imagine a world where students are not just passive recipients of information, but active participants in the learning process, where they collaborate with their peers to design innovative solutions to global issues, and where they emerge from our educational institutions not just with a degree, but with a deep understanding of themselves, their passions, and their ability to make a difference.”
“This is the future we must strive for, and it is a future that is within our grasp. By harnessing the power of technology, fostering creativity and critical thinking, and empowering teachers, parents, and students to work in tandem, we can transform the educational landscape and pave the way for a future where academic excellence is not just a goal, but a reality for all learners,” were the final words of the conference speaker as she made her charge to the congregants.
Also speaking at the event, the proprietress, Rev. Mrs. Lawrencia Agbenyefia, said the school was established in 1998 with the aim of assisting the vulnerable in society by providing them with quality education that will eradicate street children and unemployment in the community.
With a vision to create a learning environment that not only prepares students for academic success but also instills values of resilience, empathy, and global citizenship, Rev. Mrs. Agbenyefia said the school has thrived over the years by the grace of God and has trained numerous individuals across various fields of work and professional practices.
The school, according to the proprietress, plans to incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) into its syllabus starting from the next academic year, which is set to start in September 2024, as it plans to advance its course of Innovative Education and is working on building a new state-of-the-art school building facility that will further enhance innovative education for its students.
Speaking with Miss Pamela Selasie, a former student of the school and now a graduate of the University of Health and Allied Sciences with a degree in public health nursing, she narrated her experience on how the school has impacted her as a young woman and has shaped her values and personality through disciplined and diligent training into the successful person she is today.
Springs Preparatory School, which has a track record of a 100 percent success rate in all its Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) since inception, currently has a population of about 580 students, 32 teachers, 22 non-teaching staff members, and has trained thousands of others over the years.
By Desmond Tinana