Nairobi: The Ministry of Education, through the School Equipment Production Unit (SEPU), has introduced mobile laboratories to promote the adoption of STEM education in Junior Secondary Schools in Migori. Speaking during the handover of the mobile laboratory to the school management, SEPU official Gloria Nanjala stated that the laboratory will enable junior secondary school learners to excel in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
According to Kenya News Agency, Nanjala said that the initiative from the Ministry of Education, with other education partners, will ensure STEM subjects are embraced by junior secondary school learners to improve their innovation and creativity. The official noted that the mobile laboratories are designed to bridge the gap in schools that lack built-in laboratories.
The mobile laboratories, fitted with four caster wheels for easy movement, come with chemicals, basic equipment, a water tower system with inlets and outlets for safe waste management, and fire extinguishers. She said that those features will allow experiments to be conducted anywhere, not just inside a classroom.
She noted that the programme will be targeting 17 schools in Migori and 300 institutions across the country. The project has also been supported by Eco Network Africa, with a special focus on increasing the participation of girls in STEM subjects. Paul Omole, a multi-central committee member and partner, noted that the mobile laboratory will encourage more girls to undertake STEM subjects and provide a healthier education competition with boys.
Anjego Primary School Head teacher Caleb Mwita thanked the Ministry of Education and its partners for the initiative, saying that the mobile laboratory will enrich junior learners in their STEM pathways.