GETFund accelerates practical science education with STEMBox initiative

The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has reinforced its leadership role in advancing equitable access to modern, practical education with a strategic financing of a nationwide rollout of the Dext STEMBox initiative for basic schools.

The national launch, held on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the Osu Eben-Ezar Presbyterian Church in Accra was graced by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama as guest of honour.

The event was also graced by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu and his deputy Hon. Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, the Greater Accra Regional Minister Madam Linda Ocloo, other sector ministers, traditional authorities, and leaders across the education ecosystem.

In his address, Administrator of GETFund, Mr. Paul Adjei, highlighted the transformative significance of the project within Ghana’s education architecture.

He emphasised that the launch represented “another strategic move to expand opportunities, increase access, and advance a national commitment to practical and modern learning for every Ghanaian child.”

His remarks highlighted the persistent inequalities in access to science laboratories, especially in rural and peri-urban schools, where learning remains predominantly theoretical.

The STEMBox, developed by Dext Technology, is a locally engineered innovation that compresses the capabilities of a full science laboratory into a portable, durable, and cost-effective toolkit.

Speaking to this innovation, Mr. Adjei noted that “the STEM Box transforms the capabilities of a full science laboratory into a compact, portable, and cost-effective unit, enabling every learner to build, test, experiment, and explore with full hands-on engagement.”

Through GETFund’s financial investment, 667 selected basic schools nationwide are receiving STEMBoxes as part of an effort to democratise access to practical science learning.

Mr. Adjei highlighted the intent behind this intervention, describing it as part of a broader national vision, “a Ghana where practical science is not a privilege, but a basic prerogative of every child.”

He also underscored the economic efficiency of the initiative, explaining that while constructing conventional laboratories requires substantial capital, a STEMBox delivers “a comprehensive, curriculum-aligned, hands-on STEM experience without the need for any specialised facility.”

This approach dovetails squarely into GETFund’s mandate to support cost-effective, high-impact educational infrastructure and learning.

The immediate impact of the initiative is already visible in beneficiary schools, as noted by the Administrator.

Excerpt of his speech reads “students who previously memorised definitions can now see concepts come alive in their hands.

Teachers have become more confident in delivering practical science, and communities that once felt marginalised from STEM facilities are witnessing a new sense of possibility among their children.”

These changes reflect the potential of targeted public investment in reshaping pedagogical practice and strengthening learners’ scientific confidence. Beyond immediate classroom outcomes, GETFund considers the STEMBox project a strategic contribution to Ghana’s long-term economic competitiveness.

In the words of Mr. Adjei, the initiative supports the emergence of “a workforce capable of competing in advanced industrial, technological, and digital economies, signalling that Ghana intends not only to consume innovation but to produce it.”

The Administrator also commended Dext Technology for delivering a locally manufactured solution with continental and global relevance, describing the STEMBox as “a uniquely Ghanaian innovation” that strengthens the national STEM ecosystem.

As the STEMBoxes are formally handed over to beneficiary schools, he reaffirmed GETFund’s commitment to supporting interventions that enhance quality learning outcomes for all Ghanaian children, expressing confidence and optimism that “the young people who will open these boxes will someday open the doors to new scientific discoveries, innovations, and enterprises that move our nation forward.”

Under Mr. Paul Adjei, GETFund is redefining the education space with major transformation and funding sources across multiple sectors such as the Free SHS, Tertiary Education for People with Disabilities (PWDs). Students Loan Trust Fund among others.