Meet GH4STEM 100 Top Teacher: PHILIP OPOKU, Suhum #GH4STEM

Not only is he a STEM teacher, he is also the author of science textbooks designed to help students understand the subject. In addition, he is also the assistant headmaster of Suhum MA EXP ‘C’ School, seeing to the day to day administration of the school. For this, Mr. Philip Opoku can be described as a versatile science and mathematics tutor. 

During his leisure time, Philip loves to watch the National Science and Math Quiz or use the time to come up with exciting practical experiments and examples that will help students in their science classes and studies. Many of these practical guides can be found in his science textbooks.

For the past eleven years, Philip Opoku has dedicated his life to teaching, and currently has a little over one hundred and eighty-two students. He is motivated by the fact that his students always come out with a better understanding of the need to solve problems in their society. He is also very pleased that his students pass their exams with distinction. 

When it comes to the benefits of teaching STEM, Philip believes that the availability of  physical resources makes it easier to have practical sessions with the students. He also touches on the fact that it exposes both teachers and students to various principles and procedures which can be applied to solving societal problems. 

Philip heard about the JUNEOS Challenge through his district science coordinator. He believed it was a great way for students to better appreciate science, and so he presented the idea to them. They accepted the challenge with excitement. Using the idea of electrolysis, his students built a prototype using salt solution as a medium of power generation. 

The JUNEOS Challenge has not only helped his students appreciate STEM, but it has also helped Philip discover ways to improve his teaching. For example, the use of audio–visual equipment during the Challenge has taught him the benefits of such teaching techniques which he plans to use when teaching.

Philip has so far not joined any STEM organization or group because of the unavailability of resources and information as well as the challenge of accessing the workshops. Some of these problems arise because of where his school is located. 

Philip is more than eager to join any future edition of the JUNEOS Challenge since the program provides great opportunities for both teachers and students. He believes that the programme should be adapted into the Ghana Education Service teaching syllabus to benefit more students and teachers across the country.

Mr. Opoku plans to continue in this profession until he retires, and in the next five years hopes to have improved his teaching. This is why he appreciates the JUNEOS Challenge. It is something he is ready to adapt into his school and his personal teaching calendar due to all the opportunities it provides.

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Article by Elizabeth Johnson.

Elizabeth Johnson works as a researcher and project manager with Dr Monk and volunteers the rest of her time with the Writers Project of Ghana where she takes up various roles such as radio show production, social media management and administrator for their annual literary festival.