News:
August 2, 2011
The Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Ebo Barton-Oduro, on Monday said for Ghana to see improvement in the quality of life of people, it was imperative to develop her human resource base.
He mentioned scientists, technicians, technologies and engineers which he said were needed in Ghana’s industrial sector.
He said the Asian Tigers had advanced in the global world because they recognized the importance of science, technology and innovations.
Mr Oduro, who is also the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast, said this at the opening of a six-day Regional Science, Technology, Mathematics and Innovation Education (STMIE) Camp for basic school children in the Central region.
It was on the theme: “Securing our Future through Science, Technology, Mathematics and Innovation”.
The Camp is being attended by more than 700 pupils drawn from the 17 districts of the region. It has been instituted to replace the Science, Technology and Mathematics Education Clinic which focussed on only girls.
The camp among others is to inculcate the study of science and technology in the pupils and demystify the study of science and mathematics as difficult subjects as well as showcase the benefits derived from the study of science, technical and vocational programmes.
He said the country could only advance in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) if much emphasis was placed on the study of science and technology, adding that disciplines were today’s essential tools for the progress of every developing economy.
Mr Oduro noted that the unprecedented growth in digital emerging mobile and new technologies called for development of new competencies, especially among the youth, adding that the government was committed to the study of science and technology among the youth and those provisions had been made for about 6,000 students to go through specially designed and intensive holiday science camps.
He announced that plans were far advanced by the Ministry of Education to rehabilitate and refurbish 200 science laboratories nation-wide and called on all stakeholders particularly parents to join in the efforts to help to remove all barriers in the way of girls so that they could also contribute their quota to the study of science.
Mrs Georgina Quaisie, Head, Science Education Unit, Ghana Education Service, underscored the importance of science and technology in the development of a country and commended the Ghana Education Service for including the boy-child in the programme.
She, however, regretted that there were a lot of science programmes and scholarships, which were being under-subscribed and called on the pupils to take advantage of the programmes to improve upon their education both at home and abroad.
Mrs. Quaisie further expressed concern about the fact that poor-quality education had become a major concern since many children left school without the basic literacy and numeracy skills and lack the knowledge and skills relevant for today’s competitive job market.
She in this regard noted that investment in quality education should be intensified by prioritizing the professional development of teachers, improving learning conditions as well as revising school curricula.
Mrs. Vivian Etrue Metropolitan Director of Education, who presided tasked teachers to make the teaching of science and mathematics more practicable and asked that both parents and students be involved in career guidance and counselling when it comes to the subject selection.
GNA