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Posted by Chester Morton / Wednesday, 7 March 2018 / No comments
“Government of Liberia Will Encourage STEM Education in Liberia,” VP Promises
Liberia - Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has disclosed
advanced discussions with lawmakers on the possibility of extending Science,
Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to schools outside of Monrovia.
“Firstly let me thank Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence for
encouraging the kids in science and technology, because this is what those in
Western countries where children are encouraged in this program as early as
second and third grades, so it means we are way behind,” the former Bong County
Senator said.
Vice President Howard Taylor made remarks during the Second
National Robotic Competition held at the Fair Ground in Buchanan, Grand Bassa
County, witnessed by Senators from Lofa, Grand Kru, Margibi, Grand Bassa
counties, as well as a member of the House of Representatives from River Cess County.
“It takes a visionary person
to find something that we are not doing and to fix it; we want to thank Senator
Lawrence for her farsightedness; Senator Oscar Cooper and I have been talking
about how to extend this particular program to other counties, and I hope next
year we will be talking about County Competition,” VP Taylor emphasized.
She disclosed that a trip is
expected in Rwanda for Robotic competition, and told the kids how she and
Senator Lawrence were working to ensure that some of them make that trip in
March to represent Liberia.
VP Howard Taylor has already talked
to a group to help her find money for that trip, which will be followed
immediately by the one planned for the United States.
On behalf of the Senators
present, VP Howard Taylor presented US$400 for the four competing teams, and
promised that the next one will be very serious that will bring together
contestants from Margibi, Lofa, and Bong counties.
Grand Bassa Senator Jonathan
L. Kaipay, announced an initial contribution of US$1,000 to help his kinsman
offset the kids’ trip, while Senator Oscar Cooper said he was inspired to take
it to Margibi. He promised his county’s participation in the next competition;
“and on behalf of my wife and myself, with contribution to the ticket, we will
start with US$500.”
Lofa Senator Stephen Zargo
promised L$100,000 on behalf of the people of his county and the Liberty Party
he represents at the Legislature.
The competition was held
among young kids, some of whom for the first time attended the International
Robotic Competition in the United States in 2017. They were placed in four
groups of seven each.
The contestants were given 30
minutes to assemble a robot, which they had already programmed through a
computer, to the amazement of those in attendance. The teams, within the
stipulated time frame, successfully assembled engineering and construction
robots and, through help of batteries, performed perfectly.
Senator Lawrence disclosed
that the idea of introducing the program to kids in Grand Bassa County was
conceived two years ago when she decided to standardize elementary schools in
the county.
“I took World Wide [Mission
School] as a pilot program and transformed it down from a high school to
elementary and introduced phonics, and I brought in a team that trained over
150 teachers in the entire county to be able to do phonics in the elementary
schools.”
According to Senator
Lawrence, the program could only be introduced in elementary schools and World
Wide Mission School, an elementary-to-senior high school founded by her father,
was the only school she could get to make the transformation to qualify for
STEM integration.
By J. Burgess Carter
liberianobserver.com
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