Celebrating Automotive Engineering Students for Moulding Coal Pots Is A Misguided Celebration By Kumasi Technical University 1st-year students. This achievement is too basic that JHS 1 students can produce it, not even technical school students are celebrating such results.
Do not forget the millions of coal pots in our homes are the works of many who never stepped in the classroom in the first place. So how do we celebrate university students for producing coal pots. Match them with their colleagues studying the same programme in other part of the world such as in China or Japan and you will see the annoying disgrace that comes with such students getting excited for producing coal pots.
Children where and in some parts of Ghana are having exciting hands-on sessions and are immersed in various STEM activities, exploring robotics, energy transformation, improvised thermometers, modeling sun building and basic electronics while students at the university studying Automotive Engineering are building and celebrating coal pots.
A Joynews publication in in the last few days showed how two young men in the Volta region who dropped out of school in class 5 and JHS2 produced their own car and a machine for farmers
If that is not enough, another 24-year-old school dropout manufactures a car in Bolga which was was published by Ghanaweb in April, 2023.
How can we be celebrating Automotive Engineering Students for moulding coal pots as tertiary institutions and a nation when the world is heading toward industry 4.0?
There has been a trend of celebrating Automotive Engineering programme students for moulding coal pots which has been published extensively and also by Graphic Online. While this may seem like a harmless gesture of appreciation, it, in fact, has several detrimental effects on the engineering profession and the program itself.
Firstly, it trivializes the rigorous and demanding nature of Automotive Engineering. Automotive Engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and testing complex vehicles and their components. This requires a deep understanding of engineering principles, mathematics, and physics, as well as practical skills in manufacturing and testing. Moulding coal pots, on the other hand, is a relatively simple task that does not require any specialized engineering knowledge or skills. By celebrating students for this activity, we are inadvertently sending the message that Automotive Engineering is not a challenging or intellectually stimulating field.
Secondly, it reinforces negative stereotypes about engineering students. Engineers are often stereotyped as being socially awkward and lacking in creativity. Celebrating students for moulding coal pots does little to dispel these stereotypes. In fact, it reinforces the notion that engineering students are not capable of producing innovative or creative work.
Thirdly, it distracts students from the core competencies they need to develop as future engineers. Automotive Engineers need to be able to solve complex problems, think critically, and communicate effectively. Moulding coal pots does not help students develop any of these skills. In fact, it may actually take time away from their studies and hinder their academic progress.
Instead of celebrating students for moulding coal pots, we should be encouraging them to engage in activities that will help them develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful engineers. Some suggestions for innovative projects that Automotive Engineering students could undertake include:
- Designing and building electric vehicles
- Developing autonomous driving systems
- Creating new materials for automotive applications
- Researching alternative fuels and energy sources
- How to produce care filters and others.
READ: Ghana to start centralized university admission form system – GTEC
By focusing on these types of projects, we can help Automotive Engineering students develop the skills and knowledge they need to make a real difference in the world. We can also help to dispel negative stereotypes about engineering students and promote the profession as a challenging and rewarding career path.
Source: Wisdom Hammond