According to the Bayelsa State Government, plans are being developed to prioritise science and math education in public schools throughout the state, along with the teaching and learning of Ijaw, French, and Chinese languages.
It stated that the main goal of prioritising the teaching of the three languages and the core science subjects—including mathematics—is to equip and ready students to fully capitalise on the professional opportunities available in those fields.
This was disclosed by Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo at Government House in Yenagoa during a courtesy visit by the state branch of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria.
He explained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, on Thursday, that the growing economic influence of China in global affairs as a major state actor in world trade and commerce, justified the inclusion of Chinese as a subject in the school curriculum.
While responding to issues raised by APWEN, Ewhrudjakpo said, “I am happy about the programme you are introducing. For us, we have made it compulsory; we are pursuing STEM because we believe that with that, the negative impression of Bayelsa State would change sooner or later.
“We will really be available for anything you want us to do from the government angle. As I told you earlier, in our teachers’ recruitment we deliberately laid emphasis on science, ICT and mathematics.
“We are recruiting more teachers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, agricultural science and computer science. The other subjects we are placing priority on are Chinese, French and Ijaw languages.”
He charged the members of APWEN to make teamwork their watchword to achieve their objectives as a professional body, and also include male students in their programmes.
Ewhrudjakpo pointed out that the engineering career requires a lot of hard work for one to be awarded a fellowship, urging the association to work together in closer synergy to gain more visibility in the male-dominated profession.
Earlier in their separate remarks, the state chairman of APWEN, Diepreye Owana-Omubo, and the vice-chairman, Ann Obuebite, said the association was doing everything to push its corporate social responsibility project aimed at introducing the girl-child to engineering at the basic education level.
The high point of the visit was the presentation of two special awards to the deputy governor by APWEN.