MONROVIA — The Center for Science Education Inc, a local non-profit Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education organization over the weekend in partnership with Helping Hands Network concluded a week-long training workshop for Physics teachers in optics and photonics experiments.
The training workshop was held in Kakata Margibi County and brought together fifteen teachers from public high schools across County.
Speaking at the opening, Mr. Jackson Mah, founder and CEO of the Center for Science Education Inc. lauded the participants for honoring his organization invitation to participate in the training workshop, indicating that the lacks of trained science teachers, and laboratory infrastructure at most private and public schools has attributed to the poor performances of students at national exams especially the WASSEC, and as such, the training was being conducted so as to strengthen teachers’ capacity to adequately engage students and perform the required experiments.
He disclosed further that the training was being sponsored by Helping Hands Networks through SPIE and was intended also to breach the gap created by the lack of trained science instructors in the Liberian school system.
“In order to have students develop more interest in the sciences, and also have them pass the national exams, teachers have to be equipped” Mr. Mah told reporters at the end of the training in Kakata.
He urged the national Government through the Ministry of Education to ensure the establishment of STEM laboratory at public and private high schools across the Country.
Also speaking from a recorded video at the opening, Tilman Hartwig, Professor at the Tokyo University, Co-Founder and Oversea Coordinator of Helping Hands Network, welcomed participants to the training workshop.
He disclosed that his organization, Helping Hands Network has been organizing workshops for teachers in West Africa and has decided, haven received funding from SPIE to partner with Center for Science education Inc. to conduct this edition of the training workshop.
“Many schools are not equip with the necessary materials or teachers are not train to effectively use the materials in the classroom therefore, it is our expectation that upon the completion of this training workshop, you will be able to conduct the required experiments and excite students about science” Professor Tilman added in his final statement.
At the closing of the Training workshop, each participating teacher was presented a certificate of participation and a set of lab equipment to includes, Retort stand with clamps, drawing board, geometry set, rectangular glass block, triangular prism, meter rule, spring, plane mirrors, optical pins, ray boxes etc.
Mr. Mah who presented the science equipment disclosed to participants that the materials presented were donated by 2HN and advised teachers to use them wisely.
In his final closing statement, Mr. Mah commanded the 2HN for the partnership.
Speaking on behalf of the participating teachers at the closing of the training, Mr. Mohammand J.Kemokai, Physics teacher from the Lango Lippaye High School expressed thanks and appreciation to Center for Science Education and the Helping Hands Network for organizing the training workshop.
He added further that the training was rewarding and believed that the knowledge acquired will great help them improve in those areas where they have had deficiencies.
“I want to appreciate Helping Hands Network for the science equipment given us and I can assure 2HN them that we will use the material not only to inspire our students but also to ensure that their results in public exam especially in the area of physics improve,” Mr Kemokai said. In his final statement, he appealed to Center for Science Education and 2HN to in the near future increase the length of days for such a workshop.
Mr. Mah disclosed plans to take similar training to other parts of the country. “We want to reach out to other Counties to improve the level in the teaching and learning of science and therefore currently engaging other partners including the Grand Kru Legislative to initiative some of our programs.
Center for Science Education has been involved in strengthening teacher’s capacity in the sciences and has successfully set-up science laboratory at the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), Soltiamon High School, Monrovia Colleague & Industrial Training School, Reunion Christian Academy (RECA) etc. The Organization also runs a Mobile Science Laboratory that visit schools enable students conduct practical experiments as required in the WASSEC curriculum.