Vice-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Delta, Prof. Ibiyinka Fuwape, has called for allocation of more funds to education to make the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) attractive.
Fuwape, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Abuja, said that some students had been discouraged from studying STEM subjects due to their poor presentation.
She expressed the regret that most schools across the country lacked facilities, equipment and reagents in their laboratories which could aid the teaching of STEM subjects.
According to her, practical is the bedrock of learning STEM subjects and careers, adding that there are students coming to universities to study STEM courses but who have never done practical.
“We need competent STEM teachers and equipped laboratories to make STEM careers attractive.
“Government has to create an enabling environment and earmark more money to education because many of the laboratories do not have equipment.
“With less equipment for practical, the students can hardly learn and you cannot make teaching subjects interesting.
“Government should deliberately fund education properly, especially the STEM area; let us have adequate and well-equipped laboratories.
“This is how we can development as a nation. You will see children coming up with innovations but the laboratories are empty, while some equipment are obsolete,” she said.
Fuwape advocated for extra payments and awards for STEM teachers, as the few available good ones had been migrating, while others were leaving the profession.
Speaking on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, she said that how attractive STEM subjects were made to be would encourage young girls to consider careers in the area.
According to her, if the budgetary allocation to STEM is not appropriate, female students will not find STEM careers attractive.
“The allocation in the budget for education to STEM should be appropriate, while government has to provide a suitable climate for both genders to thrive.
“Everybody’s competence is needed for the development of the country,’’ she said.
The don, however, encouraged young girls who were still interested in pursuing STEM careers, never to be deterred by the societal challenges that could discourage them.
She said that there were some international grants and scholarships available for women and girls to encourage them, but they would be required to work hard for good results.
Recalling her experience, she said that some of such grants helped her when her parents were unable to continue sponsoring her education.
On what her institution was doing to encourage STEM education, Fuwape said plans were underway to bring in teachers from within the university’s community to their laboratory for an upgrade.
“I am thinking of bringing in teachers during the holidays when I can access a grant, to bring in teachers from the secondary schools from the community into our laboratory and retool them.
“We want to teach them again so that they will be abreast of new happenings in their subjects and be able to teach their students in the new school year,’’ she said.
The vice-chancellor also called on other institutions to embrace activities that would promote STEM, such as public lectures as well as matriculation and convocation lectures that would focus on STEM building anchored by women.