Category: Science

Accra,- The Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Forjour, says the government will always put in place measures to ensure that education remains the pivot for economic transformation.

He explained that to achieve this feat, the government would continue to provide the required support to the education sector to promote teaching and learning at all levels of education in the country.

Rev. Forjour, the Member of Parliament for the Assin South Constituency in the Central region, announced this during a two-day tour of some communities in his Constituency.

The tour which was aimed at interacting and explaining government policies to the people, took the MP and his entourage to communities such as Kruwa, Homaho, Adiembra, Assin Manso, Amoabin and Assin Asamankese.

“Children are the future of the country, and nothing should hinder them from achieving their dreams. There are, among them, those with exceptional talents and skills, gifted and talented kids and they need to be guided and mentored appropriately, ” the Deputy Minister said.

The Deputy Minister stated that the government was committed to ensuring the reading and writing proficiency of every school-going Ghanaian child by the age of ten years.

He mentioned that to this end, the government would continue to create a conducive learning environment as well as the provision of the necessary interventions to guarantee expected outcomes.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour said one of such interventions being spearheaded by the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, was the introduction of the National Standardized Test (NST).

This, he explained, would take place in November this year and was aimed at assessing the state of learning at that level of education so that the relevant remedial measures could be put in place.

The Deputy Minister indicated that the NST was not only seeking to improve learning outcomes but would also reduce learning poverty across the country.

The Deputy Minister stated that all primary four students in Ghana would be the first batch to sit for this test, adding that it would also give the government the opportunity to assess the challenges inherent and undertake the remedial actions when they get to class five.

He appealed to the Chiefs, parents, guardians, and the general public to give the government their full backing to implement solid policies and programmes for the betterment of the country.

Rev Ntim Forjour said the delivery of quality education at the pre-tertiary level was key to successful tertiary education.

To improve the quality of education at this level, the government had committed itself to reform the curriculum at the pre-tertiary level, to focus on the 4Rs, namely, Writing, Arithmetic, Reading and Creative Arts, he said.

This according to the Deputy Minister would prepare students to face the 21st-century job requirements.

He appealed to various stakeholders in the development of education in the country to complement government effort at providing the right training to all Ghanaian youth irrespective of location, ethnic background, political affiliation and religion.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, – The University of Ghana has sworn in Mrs Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei-Mensah, as the new Registrar. She was sworn in at a brief ceremony held at the New Council Chamber of the University on Sunday August 1, 2021.

Accra, – The University of Ghana has sworn in Mrs Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei-Mensah, as the new Registrar.

She was sworn in at a brief ceremony held at the New Council Chamber of the University on Sunday August 1, 2021.

A statement from the University copied to the Ghana News Agency, said Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, delivering the welcome address, said Mrs Agyei-Mensah succeeded Mrs Mercy Haizel-Ashia who assumed office in August 2013 as the first female Registrar of the University of Ghana.

Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, the Chancellor of the University, explained that the ceremony had to be held as scheduled in order to prevent an administrative vacuum as the tenure of the outgoing Registrar ended on July 31, 2021.

She commended Mrs Haizel-Ashia for her outstanding leadership skills, dedication and commitment to university service.

She also expressed confidence in the new Registrar who had gained extensive knowledge in university administration, to have a successful tenure, saying, she looked forward to their fruitful working relationship.

The Chancellor administered the oath of office and oath of secrecy as stipulated by the Basic Laws of the University of Ghana prior to the assumption of office.

After the ceremonial handing over of notes to mark the end of the old tenure, it said the Acting Vice-Chancellor and the outgoing Registrar robed the new Registrar in a ceremonial gown.

Mrs Agyei-Mensah, according to the statement, gave an assurance to embrace best practices and effective leadership to deliver quality services to students, faculty, staff, alumni and other stakeholders.

She acknowledged that the University, like the rest of the world, had faced many challenges in recent times but pledged to work with Senior Management to address them.

The Registrar also pledged to build on the efforts of her predecessor to ensure that the University administration worked effectively and efficiently.

Mrs Agyei-Mensah has served in various capacities at the University, commencing her career in 1999 as a Junior Assistant Registrar. She was upgraded to the rank of Assistant Registrar and Senior Assistant Registrar in 2000 and 2006 respectively.

In 2014, she was promoted to Deputy Registrar and until her appointment as Registrar, she served as College Secretary of the College of Education.

As the Chief Operating Officer of the University, the new Registrar will serve as Secretary to the Chancellor, University Council, and Academic Board.

Mrs Agyei-Mensah is the ninth Registrar of the University of Ghana.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, – The third season of the Bookworm reality show has ended with lots of fun as Miss Enam Ofori emerged winner of the Upper Primary category and Master Nii Omanye as the winner of the Lower Primary category.

Miss Enam Ofori is a class four pupil of Santa Barbara School and Nii Omanye is a Kindergarten two pupil of Alsyd Academy.

Bookworm is a televised reading competition and reality show, which allows children the opportunity to showcase their reading talent in a form of a competition, where winners are selected based on judge’s score and public votes.

The competition, which started in June 2020, is aimed at inculcating the habit of reading and understanding into children

Mr Nelson Kofi Poku, CEO of Bookworm Consult, said the reading competition started in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic when children were out of school.

“The competition started when I realized that all learning activities which engaged children at home were targeted at Junior High and Senior High School students while primary pupils were left out amid the pandemic,” he said.

Mr Poku said the competition was held in seasons, where each season lasted for four months; each season is made up of two categories which are the lower primary; one to three and upper primary four to six.

He said out of over 100 forms sold out, a total of 55 students were selected to participate in the competition for season three out of which 15 made it to the finals.

Mr Poku said Bookworm Consult was arranging to scale up the reading contest to the national level.

He appealed to the government to invest more in reading and learning materials for children

He said the next season for the Bookworm competition is slated for September to December 2021 and encouraged parents to bring their children on board.

Madame Serwah Nyarko, a parent, whose child participated in the competition, commended Bookworm Consult for its initiative to encourage reading among children.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, – Sekondi College has launched her 70th anniversary celebrations with a call on Ghanaians to stick to the principles of discipline in order to develop the nation.

In that regard, the launch was used to tell the story of how, through discipline and hard work, Sekondi College had produced men and women who had contributed tremendously to the development of Ghana and the world.

In a key note address on Friday at Christ the King Catholic Church, Accra, the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, observed that the extraordinary role Sekondi College had played in education had made most persons who passed through the school to stand out where ever they went.

“It is for this reason why products of Sekondi College exhibit qualities associated with self-discipline such as will power, hard work and perseverance.

We don’t see discipline as a severe and limited behaviour or a restrictive lifestyle.

No, rather, Sekondians see discipline as perseverance, the ability not to give up despite failure and setbacks, as self-control, and as the ability to resist temptations and distractions that tend to stand in the way of attaining aims and goals,” the Professor said.

Professor Frimpong Boateng observed that developing ones potentials to the fullest and being motivated alone was not enough to succeed.

He said bad attitudes might still make one fail even after developing abilities and well motivated. “Attitude, unlike the other two, is difficult to change. This is because it cannot be taught; it is learnt from others,” he explained.

He therefore charged students of Sekondi College to develop the right attitudes in order to make meaningful impacts with their lives.

Naval Cpt. Baffour Asaase Gyimah, an old student, said the school made them

who they were “because we were taught by people who knew what they were about; they taught us to be honest, discipline, hardworking and be prepared to die

for one’s country.”

Zero Naval Cot. Asaase Gyimah said lack of discipline was what bred corruption in society, insisting that citizens were not “to look for what your country would do for you; look for what you can do for your country.”

Bishop Ishmael Fosu Sam, launching the anniversary, asked that the motto of the school, which was Truth and Light, constantly reminded past and present students to always stand for the truth and always be the light that would brighten any corner they found themselves.

Bishop Ofosu Sam hinted that, in as much as the school had produced many illustrious sons and daughters, the anniversary was an opportunity to give back to the school for what it had given to them.

Activities line up for the anniversary include a radio talk show with the headmistress of the college and Sekondi College Old Students Association (SECOSA) executives on Connect FM to share the history, successes and challenges of the college; 14th August would be a time with old students and

professionals which would be used to motivate the current students to take their academic work seriously.

There would be an Inter-Houses Quiz Competition on the 21st of August and a Gospel Rock Show on the 28th of August; 4th September would be for indoor fun games by staff, current and old students with 22nd October earmarked for exhibition and a bomb fire demonstration amidst a brass band display.

Anniversary climax would be 23rd October and a thanksgiving service on 24th October.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tarkwa (W/R), – The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) chapter, has joined the nationwide strike, which commenced on Monday, August 2, 2021.

The group said they would continue to express displeasure on the poor condition of service for university lecturers in the country until the government respond to their demands.

Dr Asare Asante-Annor, the secretary of UMaT chapter of UTAG, confirmed the strike in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday at Tarkwa in the Western Region.

He said, “currently all lecturers are on strike and l must emphasize that we have withdrawn only one aspect of our core duty which is teaching so we are still doing research and community service.”

He said the services the association had withdrawn include the conduct of examination, invigilation, and marking of examination scripts, among others, adding that “so now lecturers cannot carry on with any of these activities”.

Dr Asante-Annor said UTAG was considerate for over two years but could no longer hold on to the poor condition of lecturers,

He advised students to study hard as UTAG and the government negotiate the condition of service for lecturers.

Some students the GNA interacted with at the UMaT campus appealed to the government to reach a deal with UTAG to enable them to continue with their studies.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema, – Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), says a comprehensive dialogue between government and University Teachers Association Ghana (UTAG) is essential in curtailing the ongoing strike.

He said the government must take the initiative to create a platform for UTAG members to engage in discussion.

Mr Baah was speaking to the GNA on the sidelines of the launch of a partnership between the Health Service Workers Union and Stanbic Bank.

He said there was a strike because the dialogue between the parties had failed, the only solution is the creation of another platform for reopening of dialogue.

“I hope the authorities will listen to UTAG, I have read extensively why they have embarked on the strike, and they have a genuine case, government must create space for the UTAG members to know that it is serious about the dialogue,” Mr Baah added.

Touching on the effectiveness of the National Labour Commission, the TUC Secretary-General said the Commission was one of the important labour institutions in the country, but under-resourced to perform.

Mr Baah said the Commission lacked resources, including human, material and financial needed to function efficiently.

“But am confident that if the government gave the Commission the necessary tools and resources needed, it will do what it is supposed to do and ensure the labour pilot is peaceful.”

UTAG National Executive Committee has directed its members to withdraw all teaching and related activities on campus beginning Monday, August 2, this year.

The decision to embark on industrial action, according to UTAG was borne out of the government’s refusal to heed calls by the Association to improve the worsening conditions of service of the university teachers.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tamale, – Coral Reef Innovation Lab and its partners have engaged decision-makers at private basic schools in Tamale on integrating technologies into education delivery to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

The move, which is to increase access to technology and digital tools that deliver education, has become necessary, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the use of technological devices became integral in providing continuing education.

About 13 private basic schools were engaged in Tamale in an event, which formed part of the “Edtech Ghana Hackathons and Info Session Road Trip 2021,” embarked upon by Coral Reef Innovation Lab to engage decision-makers at private basic schools in the 16 regions of the country on integrating technology into education delivery.

The Edtech Ghana Hackathons and Info Session Road Trip 2021 seeks to foster inclusion, quality education, promote Science, Technology, Arts and Maths (STEAM) for girls and digital literacy as part of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and set up smart laboratories, which will be funded by corporate organisations, charitable clubs, and international organisations.

The Tamale event was the first in the series.

The Coral Reef Innovation Lab is a tech hub that is focused on introducing technology to influence the way people live and do business.

With a strong focus on driving education through technology, Coral Reef Innovation Lab aims to provide all educational centres with digital laboratories, tool teachers and facilitators with state-of-the-art digital devices, train and resource service providers with the necessary information to deliver world-class education.

As a specialised organisation, it has partnered with producers of digital devices, software and content providers from all over the world to ensure the integration of cutting edge technologies into education.

Mr Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, Project Lead, Education Technologies Tour, Coral Reef Innovation Lab, who led the discussions with participants during the engagement with the private basic school managers in Tamale, said the technologies would help teachers to manage their classrooms properly.

Coral Reef Innovation Lab’s full-stack solutions included tablets for students and laptops for teachers, access points for storing educational content such as videos, audio, text amongst others, virtual library with access to over three million titles, solar E-classrooms for areas not connected to the national electricity grid, training for teachers for management of the library and educational technologies and coding and robotics devices and training.

Mr Adu-Gyamfi said, “We expect that as the government is engaging public schools and making investments in public schools, we develop solutions that also enable private schools to have access to these technologies.”

Participants discussed the challenges and prospects of integrating technologies into improving teaching and learning and overall educational outcomes.

They cited lack of government support, limited opportunity for capacity building for education managers and teachers, limited infrastructure, and challenges with access to the needed tools and equipment as barriers to integrating technologies into education in Tamale and by extension the northern part of the country.

They called for partnership with Coral Reef to assist in building the capacity of schools through access to flexible financing options to set up smart laboratories and a public-private partnership to improve some community resource centres and or the Community Innovation Centres for a cluster of schools to collaborate and access the facility as part of efforts to enhance educational outcomes.

Mr Adu-Gyamfi said, “Coral Reef Innovation Lab and partners are keen to developing the enabling environment for inclusivity and access to cutting edge technologies in Northern Ghana through the set-up of a community of practice and enhancing access to tools and equipment to bridge existing gaps.”

Reverend Jones Frimpong Kwarteng, Proprietor, Meridian Community School Complex, described the engagement as “An eye-opener because we have always been thinking of incorporating ICT into what we do at schools.”

Rev Kwarteng said, “With the approach by Coral Reef where they can get the banks to partner with the schools to do business and we believe that at the end of the day, it will all inure to the benefit of the school children that we are raising. So, we stand to gain a lot because all the children will be ICT literates.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Sefwi-Aboduam(W/NR) – Mr Richard Ebbah Obeng, Western North Regional Minister, has presented 350 pieces of dual and mono study desks to two basic schools at Aboduam in the Wiawso Municipality.

The Regional Minister said the donation added up to over 4,000 desks distributed so far and formed part of the “One-Child One-desk initiative” aimed at clearing over 66,000 desks deficit within the nine Municipal and District assemblies in the Western North Region.

He said selected schools in Suaman, Bibiani Anwhiaso Bekwai, Bia East, Bia West and Waiwso Municipality had received their share with the remaining Districts to be followed soon.

Mr Obeng indicated that the desks would go a long way to help improve teaching and learning, especially in schools where pupils sit on the floor to learn.

“The situation in some schools, where pupils sit and write on the floor will be a thing of the past in the Western North Region. We will continue to complement the government’s efforts in improving education in the Region.”

He commended individuals and corporate institutions, especially the Buadac group of companies, for their immense support towards the initiative.

The Regional Minister urged the residents to unite since that was the only way to ensure accelerated development.

Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso constituency and Minister of Science Technology and Innovations, lauded the One-Child One-desk initiative.

Dr Afriyie urged girls in the area to embrace science education and promised to sponsor any brilliant girl, who would pursue science-related programmes to the highest level.

He entreated parents to encourage and motivate their girl child to study science-related programmes and not to discourage them.

Mr Louis Owusu-Agyapong, Municipal Chief Executive for Sefwi-Wiawso, also lauded the initiative and commended the government for its interventions in the education sector.

Mr Abraham Fletcher, Municipal Education Director, commended the initiative since it would help eliminate the 10,449 desks deficit within the Wiawso Municipality.

He said the presentation of the furniture was a big relief to the Education Directorate and appealed to the Regional Minister to consider constructing school blocks for them since some schools in the area needed additional classrooms.

Mr Fletcher called on traditional authorities to help stop the enthronement on school lands since that was a major challenge.

Nana Kwaw Awuah, the Chief of Aboduam, lauded the government’s free Senior High school policy and asked parents to take full advantage of it.

“I remember I have to stay home for a year and support my mother on the farm before continuing my secondary education due to financial constraints, but thanks to the free Senior High School my people are in the best Senior High Schools across the country.”

Nana Awuah commended the government and the Member of Parliament for the area Dr Kwaku Afriyie for the number of developmental projects in his community.

Source: Ghana News Agency