Category: Science

Accra,- The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Paramount Chief of Tepa, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem I, and seventeen other persons have been honoured at a special ceremony at Tepa in the Ashanti region on Saturday.

The award ceremony, which was in two categories, saw the Education Minister, Asantehene and the Tepamanhene being honoured for their support towards the development of education at Tepa and the country as a whole while the other awardees were also honoured for contributing in diverse ways towards the socio-economic development of Tepa and its surrounding communities.

Dr Adutwum and the Tepamanhene were present to receive their citations. The Asantehene’s award was received by Barima Ogyeabour Amankwa Adunan I, Paramount Chief of Kuntanase who represented the Asantehene.

The other awardees were five politicians and 12 clergy persons of diverse backgrounds for their role in the development of Tepa and the socio-economic development of Ghana were also presented with a plaque.

In attendance were the Director-General for National Disaster Management Organization, Mr Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, Mr Asamoah Boateng, Director-General, State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) and Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Works and Housing among others.

The annual award event was organised by the Divine Key Believers Network-Ghana in collaboration with Prince Hampel World Outreach (UK), and the Tepa Local Council of Churches to reward individuals who have distinguished themselves in the socio-economic development of the area and the rest of the country.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in his short address, expressed his profound gratitude to the Tepamanhene and other organisers for the honour done him.

He commended the Asantehene for his lead role in the development of education in the Ashanti region and the country in general and also lauded the Tepahene for his vision to promote the development of education in his area and called on other chiefs to emulate this good initiative of complementing government effort at transforming the country through education.

The Education Minister emphasised that the development of good education required the collective effort of various facets of the economy and therefore called on all to contribute their quota towards attaining such a feat.

He said, “although the government is doing everything possible to provide the needed resources towards the development of education if all stakeholders do not play their collective roles, it would be very difficult to get the right results”.

Citation

The citation which was presented by Professor Prince Hampel, President of Prince Hampel World Outreach (UK) read, ” Hon. Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, we believe that God Almighty has appointed you as a Joshua to continue the good works of your predecessors in the Education Ministry to bring a new face to Ghana’s Education Sector and that was why He chose you through His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana. Indeed, you have proven beyond reasonable doubt that indeed you are a man to bring transformation into the nation’s education.

“You have also fought a good fight in the Covid-19 pandemic season and has stabilized education in the country”.

The President and the entire board of Divine Key Believers Network-Ghana in collaboration with Prince Hampel World Outreach (UK), and the Tepa Local Council of Churches wish to say a big Ayekoo for honouring this invitation and celebrating our hero Nana Adusei Atwerewa Ampem I”.

Background

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe in the Ashanti region, was appointed a Deputy Minister of Education during the 1st term of office of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.

Due to his hard work and the innovative initiatives, he introduced into the education sector during the 1st term, the government had no option than to make him a substantive Education Minister during the 2nd term to continue with the good works he started.

Notable among the initiatives he introduced were the double-track system into Senior High School level which saw more than 400,000 other students also going to school instead of staying home as a result of lack of accommodation space in schools.

His dream of supporting the government to promote the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, revamping the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) are just a few of the good initiatives he was promoting to transform the nation’s socio-economic development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Takoradi,- The Committee on Education of Ghana’s Parliament have paid a working visit to the Takoradi Technical University and other TVET centres to ascertain how investment in the sector was adopting to quality human capital production for industry and the oil and gas sector.

The Takoradi Technical University since its conversion in 2016, has witnessed massive injection in terms of Technical infrastructure to enable it produce men and women with competency based skills for the development of the country.

Such investment, Professor Kweku Bondzie-Micah, the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University, said was in areas of various state of the art infrastructure, training facilities and laboratories.

He stated that the school, under TVET could now boost of six modern laboratories, three storey 15 units lecture halls, library, ICT and accommodation for teachers.

The school through the facility continue to train more hands for the oil and gas sector.

In the meantime, the Akatakyi campus of the University, he noted, was grappling with defects, bad road network, accommodation and transportation challenges and called on the Committee to as a matter of urgency help resolve the issues.

The University, however, has intention of mobilizing students to the campus to make it useful come 2021/2022 academic year.

“We intend moving all second and third year electrical, welding and mechanical students to the campus despite transportation cost…we need investors to develop hostels for us.”

Professor Micah therefore called for COTVET’s assistance in vamping the place.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Kwabena Amankwah Asamoah, urged the University to engage with the Committee on all matters bordering its development to enhance their production.

Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, the Director General of the Ghana Commission for TVET of the Ministry of Education, said the facility visited was to enable the legislators have a good overview of investment in the TVET sector, understand the area and the need for government to commit more resources into the area, for a faster socioeconomic advancement of the country.

“We are here to see how investment in the areas are helping to solve the Technical manpower needs of the country, particularly that this University is sited in the oil and gas enclave of the country, and the need for quality artisans and technical men to penetrate the industry”.

Dr. Asamoah said the Ghana Bereau of Welding had been instituted to help in training and certify the critical Mass with the potency to grow local content and participation.

“Our certification does not only become home used but one that can be appreciated no matter the boundary of Operations…we are investing in infrastructure, capacity to achieve this in the shortest possible time,” the Director General added.

The team also conducted similar engagement with the Takoradi Technical Institute and the NVTI.

The twenty-member committee oversees expenditure, infrastructure and policy direction to promote quality education.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- The Director-General of the Commission for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Dr.

Fred Kyei Asamoah, has disclosed that President Akufo Addo’s vision of making Ghana a world-class TVET hub is gradually taking shape.

This, he attributed to the massive infrastructure projects ongoing and restructuring in the various regions across the country to revamp the TVET sector.

Dr Asamoah made this known during a visit to some selected TVET projects with the Parliamentary Select Committee for Education last week.

The Parliamentary Select Committee for Education is currently touring ongoing TVET projects around the country to assess the progress and report back to the house.

In Accra, the Committee visited a new campus for the Accra Technical University at Mpehuasem (Samsam) which was inaugurated in 2018 and is currently being restocked with new tools and equipment under the Ghana China Project on the Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Equipment in Technical Universities and Institutes.

The Committee also visited the Ashaiman Technical Institute where there is a newly constructed workshop with state-of-the-art tools and equipment under the same project.

Again, the team visited the NVTI headquarters and the Vocational and Technical Institute (VTI) both at East Legon where there is an ongoing construction work which is part of the project for the overall upgrade and modernization of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in Ghana which commenced in 2019.

Background

It would be recalled that in 2018, whilst speaking at the centenary celebrations of Asuansi Technical Institute, in Asuansi, in the Central Region, President Akufo-Addo said it was the goal of his government to make Ghana a world-class centre for skills development, and a leading country in technical and vocational education training (TVET) delivery in Africa.

He further outlined Government’s strategic policy on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, stating: “We want to emphasize the importance of TVET, and redeem the misconception that technical and vocational education is inferior and patronized only by less endowed students.”

This promise has informed the government ‘resolve to invest over $ 700 million US Dollars since 2017.

According to Dr. Asamoah, the government is upgrading and modernizing all National Vocational Training Institutes (NVTIs) and Opportunity Industrialisation Centres (OIC) nationwide.

“The government is also constructing three foundries and machining centres, work on which is ongoing to enhance effective practical training at the various training centres,” he said.

“Again, the government is upgrading 17 Technical and Vocational Institutes across the country and building an office complex to support the unit responsible for TVET examination”, Dr Asamoah stated.

He added that additional infrastructural equipment is being provided at all technical universities to achieve quality delivery at the tertiary level with industry 4.0 standards.

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Select committee, Mr Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, said, “the latest machines are being installed and we can see that these machines will help our youth to learn the modern technology and also fit in the modern way of doing things so we can rub shoulders with all other students who are doing technical education in any other country.”

He was upbeat that after the completion of the various construction and installations of equipment across the country, the country’s dream of improving the teaching and learning of TVET would be enhanced drastically.

The team will be visiting the Central, Western, Ashanti and Eastern Region over the next two weeks as part of this project.

Parliamentary delegation

The 20-member Parliamentary Select Committee was led by its Chairperson Mr Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah. The other members are Prince Hamidu Armah (vice-chairman) Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe (ranking member) Clement Abas Apaak (deputy ranking) Andrew Amoako Asiamah, Vincent Ekow Assafua, Kingsley Nyarko, Augustine Tawiah, Kwasi Ameyaw- Kyeremeh, Joseph Kwame Kumah.

The rest are Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Bernard Ahiafor, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, Christian Corleytey Otuteye, Dakoa Newman, Moses Anim, Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah and Ayariga Mahama.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, also an MP, represented the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum during the tour.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kumasi,- Work on the first phase of Ghana’s first-ever Creative Arts Senior High School (SHS), being constructed at Kwadaso in the Ashanti Region, will be completed in December, 2021, Dr.

Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has disclosed.

Currently, about 60 percent of the project had been executed by the two main contractors, Messrs Golden Mainland and Uton Engineering, he hinted.

Facilities being worked on included an administration block, a 750-capacity girls’ dormitory as well as a 500-capacity boys’ dormitory, classroom blocks and a studio laboratory.

“The government is committed to diversifying the economy by grooming young talents for the creative arts industry to enhance job creation and poverty alleviation,” Dr. Adutwum told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kwadaso, after he inspected the progress of work on the project.

He was accompanied by Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, and Mr. Agyenim Boateng, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).

Work on the project commenced in 2019, and on completion, would spearhead the nation’s bid to identify and harness young talents in areas encompassing literature, music, drama, visual arts, film, dance, sound engineering and film production.

Dr. Adutwum said a team of experts had been put together to develop the curriculum for the institution, adding that the operationalization of the nation’s premier Creative Arts SHS was expected to commence soon.

“The vision of the government is very clear. That, in promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics, we do not have to leave out the creative arts,” he observed.

The creative arts industry, according to the Minister, had many prospects for the younger generation.

Therefore, the government was committed to investing in the sector to brighten the future of the youth.

Dr. Nyarko said the authorities had been monitoring the project to ensure its successful completion.

Mr. Daniel Ohene, Project Coordinator for Messrs Golden Mainland, who guided the delegation for the project inspection, assured of the contractors’ resolve to complete the work as scheduled.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- While pupils at some schools are studying under air-conditioners and fans in the urban areas, pupils of Lakpaale St Nicholas Primary are not asking much, but chairs and tables to make their studies comfortable.

No single student with a pupil population of 220 has a chair or table and therefore make do on the floor, a situation that impedes their orderly progress.

Apart from that, they also lack basic educational materials such as reading and exercise books, stationaries, and school uniforms.

St. Nicholas R/C primary school is located in a community called Laakpale in the Tatale-Sanguli district of the northern region.

Laakpale is a farming community situated south of Tatale the district capital and has about five sub-communities, with an estimated population of about 1,600 habitants.

It is about 39kilometres from the district capital, Tatale.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the plight of the pupils, Mr Kpachin Abdulai Ibrahim, Executive Director of the People’s Hope Fafrica, a non-profit Organisation described their situation as worrying.

He said as the future of every nation depended on child education, The People’s Hope Foundation Africa (TPHFA), in partnership with National Consortium for Voluntary Organizations (NCOV), was taking it upon themselves to help provide them with the needed educational materials, but has limited resources.

Mr Ibrahim pleaded with all religious group, corporate institutions, and private organizations to support the school with basic amenities that would spur them on.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Bolgatanga,- The Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Clement Kubindiwo Tedam-University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, is appealing to government to settle staff grievances of the University to enable academic activities to continue.

They said the ongoing internal strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), the Teachers Educational Workers Union and the Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) affected their academic activities.

According to the striking Unions, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) migrated staff of the University onto a payroll that recognised them as new staff, and they would lose their basic salaries and allowances which ranged from five per cent to 59 per cent.

“We, the SRC admit the fact that the University is new, but the staff are not. They have been working for years under the UDS payment system and they should not be treated as such by the GTEC.”

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Ebenezer Opoku-Mensah, the SRC President of the CKT-UTAS and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga.

The statement expressed concern about the impact of the strike action, which started on August 2, 202, by the Unions, on the academic activities in the University, “All academic related activities in the University have halted.”

The statement noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had distracted the academic calendar and the strike had made it worse with its financial implication on both parents and students.

It added that the situation posed psychological trauma to students and appealed for immediate government intervention to solve the grievances of staff of the University.

“We believe CKT-UTAS staff deserves better and the innocent students should not be made to suffer from misunderstanding between Workers Unions of CKT-UTAS and the government,” The SRC said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Adaklu Anfoe (V/R), – Construction works have begun on a new three-unit classroom block for Adaklu Anfoe Kindergarten in the Adaklu District.

The building, which is estimated to cost GH¢250,000.00, when completed would have an office, store, toilet and urinal.

Mr Governs Kwame Agbodzah, Member of Parliament (MP) of Adaklu, who inspected the progress of work at Adaklu Anfoe, said Pencils of Promise (PoP) was paying 80 percent of the cost of the project.

He said the community was to pay the rest 20 percent by providing sand, stones and labour.

Mr Agbodzah said he used part of his MP Common Fund to provide 321 cubics of sand and 80 cubics of stones to support the communities that benefited from PoP projects.

He praised PoP for the yeoman’s job in the Adaklu district, adding that the Adaklu Anfoe project was the 27th classroom block built in the district.

“I am most grateful to you because Adaklu has greatly benefitted from your benevolence,” he said.

He said with the assistance of PoP and like-minded organizations, most communities in the district had decent classrooms.

The MP said the teacher deficit in the district had also been solved.

He praised the community for their communal spirit and urged them to keep it up to complete the project on schedule.

Mr Agbodzah assured that “Adaklu will produce skilful and competent people to enable them to compete with people everywhere.”

Source: Ghana News Agency