By Brighton Ncube
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics STEM awards took place in Bulawayo to celebrate the students who are doing well in these subjects. this is an initiative where the government pays school fees for Advanced level students who are doing STEM subjects.
This event saw 21 students from Bulawayo metropolitan receiving their STEM awards. these prices ranged from 10laptops and 10 IPads and one student from Luveve High School walked away with a trip of a life time to United States of America, Silicon Valley the home of STEM as one would call it.
Zimdef is paying fees for 5 132 A-Level pupils in ZImbabwe who took up STEM subjects, with 499 of them coming from the city of Bulawayo.
“What we need to do collectively is to up the game when it comes to infrastructural development. There is a need to upgrade our laboratories to avail equipment. These are science subjects and they require apparatus in the laboratories. They also require current textbooks and I think these are issues that need to be addressed,” alluded Mr Mandizvidza who implored the work done by different people and organisations who helped in the implementation of STEM.
“The key issue is for us not to lose vision for STEM which is to industrialise Zimbabwe. In terms of industrialisation, we’ve got to tap into our national talent , Talent as far as innovation, research and development is concerned. That’s a culture that we need to develop.
“That culture starts with the youngsters that we’ve equipped today, we need products to come out of Zimbabwe written made in ZImbabwe,” said Mr Mandizvidza.
He said the youths should be self motivated by these STEM subjects so that they would transform the country’s future. STEM “Ngazviendere mberi” moving foward is the theme that is the driving force, with STEM parents were happy to see the government coming up with such an initiative.
Some of the parents whose children received prizes at this year STEM awards thanked the government and the leadership of his excellency the president of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe for such a wonderful vision, they further appreciated the work done the minister of Higher and Tertiary, Education Science and Technology Development Professor Jonathan Moyo for such a wonderful platform for Science students.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Ambassador Machivenyika Mapuranga, said STEM would continue to be on the Government’s agenda as the country’s future hinges on it. he further went on to encourage the students who did not receive these awards to work harder and try to improve so they can be the best as well. “the prizes come as a form of motivation for theses students to thrive for excellence”
” STEM will go a long way in unlocking the nation’s economic development potential. In this regard, Zimbabwe’s education policies should be anchored around scientific research and development in which STEM is developed and exploited for the benefit of society as a whole,” he alluded
@Mybulawayo
