Associate Professor of Soil Fertility at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Kwame Agyei Frimpong, has suggested to the government to channel its energies toward developing agricultural education and not solely focus on STEM education.

He expressed concerns about the lack of infrastructure in agricultural faculties and colleges, describing the facilities in these areas as a ‘sorry sight.’

He made these remarks when he addressed participants at ‘The Swedru Conversations’ under the theme, ‘Feeding Ourselves as a Nation.’

The event is an annual thought leadership program organized by the Alumni Association of the Swedru Senior High School, which took place on Monday, February 12, 2024, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

The Associate Professor of Soil Fertility at UCC further urged the government to restructure the educational curriculum in engineering to suit agriculture.

“Let’s look at agricultural education. If you go to our agricultural faculties and colleges and observe the infrastructure there, it is a sorry sight. We are prepared to invest in equipment for pharmacy and engineering. Now, we want to focus on STEM education in high schools. But agriculture is missing. I would have wished that STEM would not only encompass the arts but also include agriculture.”

“If we cannot do that, I will pray that we tailor or re-engineer our curriculum so that whatever is done in engineering will apply to agriculture. Imagine, we have students who could come up with engineering designs for equipment and tools that will revolutionize agriculture,” Prof. Agyei Frimpong opined.

“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) equip students to become innovators and leaders in the industries of tomorrow.”