Girls told to break science myth

Tema, Aug. 25, GNA - Five women scientists on Monday called on girls to break the myth surrounding science, technology and mathematics and venture into those areas to enhance their lives, to improve society and the nation as a whole.

The women who served as role models at a week-long Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) clinic at Tema noted that the subjects are not the preserve of boys, therefore, girls should accept the challenge of reading the subject. "If we have succeeded in that area then you can also make it and do it even better," they said. They are Mrs Cecilia Asibey, an Engineer of GRATIS Foundation, Mrs Alberta Larbi, a Laboratory Technologist at Tema General Hospital (TGH), Mrs Henrietta Ocran, Biochemist/Food Scientist of Ghana Agro Foods Company (GAFCO), Dr Agatha Aboe, an Ophthalmologist at TGH and Mrs Victoria Norgbey, an Agriculturist of the World Vision International. The clinic, organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES) was the second in Tema Municipality and the tenth to be held nation wide. Some 160 students including 20 boys drawn from SSS and JSS in Tema Municipality are attending the clinic.

It is being organised under the theme "STME in support of scientific and technological transformation in Ghana".

The women scientists asked girls not to be scared of the science subjects since they are daily practical work. "With determination, hard work, perseverance and discipline, you would achieve success to become assets to the nation and world wide."

In a speech read for him, Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, said building indigenous and substantial science and technology capabilities was vital in eliminating illiteracy, ignorance, disease and poverty.

This calls for the investment in human resource in order to manage the technological change, he said.

In this context, the government attaches importance to the development of the clinic to give expression to its realisation and has opened 110 science resource centres through out the country, to enhance teaching and learning of science at the pre-tertiary level. To ensure community and partnership in this endeavour, Mr Baah-Wiredu said, the Ministry has endorsed the idea of constituting science and technology education committee in all the regions and districts to offer appropriate support, guidance, mobilise and re-direct resources to support science and technological education. 25 Aug. 03