THE government and stakeholders in education have been urged to help make science and technology the pivot around which the socio-economic development of the country revolves.
“ Rigorous Science and Technology agenda is needed. Technological innovations could propel Ghana to a higher pedestal in the world of technology”.
The Dean of the Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Reynolds Okai, said this when he addressed a three-day Science, Technology and Innovation camp for 730 Junior High School students selected from the Ashanti Region at the Yaa Asantewaa Girls Senior High School in Kumasi.
It was on the theme ‘Gender Equality in Science, Technology and Innovations for Better Ghana.’
The camp was aimed at helping students to use the application of science to develop projects, and also encourage pupils in basic schools to study Science and Technology related subjects in senior high school.
Prof. Okai observed that the country had seen major transformations over the past years and had chalked up successes in the construction of science resource centres including the introduction of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (Get Fund).
“Yet our educational system appears to be tilting towards one direction as the humanities appears to dominate the sciences,” said Professor Okai.
He called on all stakeholders, the government, parents, teachers, industries and institutions involved in science delivery to assist in tackling the problem.
Prof Okai urged the government to ensure that institutions mandated to teach Science and Technology had well equipped laboratories.
He lamented at the deplorable state of the Science laboratories and workshops at the various second cycle schools across the country.
“The government could generate interest in the youth to pursue science and technology related courses by providing scholarship packages for all students who opt for science and technology at the technical and senior high schools. The government could also absorb a certain proportion of their school fees, ” he suggested.
Prof. Okai advised students to translate what they had learnt in the classroom into reality.
In her welcome address, Mrs Gladys Amaning, the Kumasi Metro Director of Education, said Science and Technology had been rekindled to a higher level and urged the coordinators of the programme to help organise more of such camp projects as a means to encourage children to study science.
Madam Emma Amoateng Mensah, Director of Girls Education at the Regional Education Office, said the Ghana Education Service had put in place a mechanism to ensure that young students especially the girl-child got equal access to Science and Technology as their male counter-parts.
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