Workshop on teaching of science and technology opens

Winneba(C/R), April 25, GNA - Mr Kwame Amporfi-Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports on Wednesday observed that the manner science and technology were taught in schools had slowed the pace of development in the country.

He said the situation had led to the importation of practically all materials and equipment in the country, therefore the new Educational Reforms should be supported to succeed.

Mr Amporfi-Twumasi made the observation when addressing the opening session of a three-day workshop on Contextualization of the Teaching of Science and Technology at Winneba.

More than 120 participants made up of Deans and Science lectures from the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and its campuses in Kumasi and Ashanti Mampong, University of Cape Coast (UCC) and Science masters in some second cycle institutions in the Central Region are attending.

It is being organised by the Centre for School and Community Science and Technology Studies (SACOST) of UEW under the theme "Toward the Contextualization for the Teaching of Science and Technology in Ghana".

The workshop is to sensitise the participants on the use and need for Contextualization in teaching and equip science and technology educators with the requisite competence for using resources in the community to teach science and science-based subjects. Mr Amporfi-Twumasi asked the participants and organizers to evolve the necessary strategies to revolutionise the teaching of science and technology to make them relevant, meaningful and interesting to students.

He noted that without a vigorous application of science and technology to industry, agriculture, health, education and natural resources efforts to transform the nation to attain a middle-income status by 2015 could not be achieved. Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Vice Chancellor of UEW and Director of SACOST, appealed to the participants to come out with suggestions and strategies that would help the teaching of science and technology in the schools.

Professor A. Asabere-Ameyaw, Deputy Director of SACOST, giving an overview of the workshop said it would identify various concepts, principles and topics in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) syllabus that the SACOST-developed context-based materials could be used to facilitate teaching and learning. 25 April 07