By NAN

The Nigerian Academy of Education says it will faciltate the institutionalisation of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) as the fulcrum for teaching and learning in schools.

The Local Organising Committee Chairman of the academy’s congress, Prof. Salihu Ingawa, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the academy had made the institutionalisaton of STEAM  the major focus of its 35th Annual Congress holding in November.

He also said that the congress is entitled: “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) and Collaborative Education in Post COVID-19 21st century”.

Ingawa said that the academy “is umbrella body for all professionals and associations in education, seeking more productive learning with STEAM.

“The academy wants to call attention to the critical role non-sciences such as fine and visual arts, music, social studies and the likes play to complement the already established Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)”.

He observed that the annual conference would cite STEAM as the perfect bridge needed by Nigeria to make science, technology, engineering and the creative industry work for the sustainable development of the country.

“Before now, there appeared to be a rigid distinction between STEM disciplines and the Arts which include the non-sciences such as Fine and Visual Arts, Music, Social Studies and others,” he observed.

He said curriculum experts had taken a critical look at the discrimination as non-productive in a world driven by inclusive collaborative principles.

“So the new approach to teaching and learning encourages integration of arts subjects into STEM disciplines to achieve what is now known as STEAM”, he said.

On the relevance of STEAM amid the COVID-19 pandemic challenge, he said: “One usefulness of this curriculum approach is the promise of harvesting richer inclusive educational outcomes for the learner and the society.

“Learning and teaching at all levels will have to take cognisance of the new- normal and must now emphasis entrepreneurship and self-sustenance as outcomes”

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Ingawa said hat during the conference, discussions around STEAM would be kick-started by a keynote to be delivered by Prof. Ben Akpan, Past President of the International Council of Associations for Science Education.(NAN)