Gov't will double number of scientist within a decade

Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education on Friday said it was the aim of government to double the number of scientists and technologists within a decade with particular attention to the training of women.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi, who said this in speech read for him at the close of a day's workshop on a draft science and technology policy on education, said government would enhance specialised post graduate and advanced technical training in the universities and other appropriate national institutions.

The policy was to orient all levels of the country's educational system to the teaching and learning of science and technology in order to accelerate the acculturation of science and technology in society.

About 40 educational experts discussed the draft and what strategies to adopt to implement the policies.

Some of the proposals are; creating enabling environment for writing science text books and supplementary readers, promote Technical and Vocational education training, promote Science and Technology innovations within the educational system and strengthening the inspectorate division of the educational sector in both human and material resources.

The experts are drawn from the Universities, Curriculum Development Division, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research UNESCO and Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi said government's policy is aimed at encouraging innovators through a scheme for funding the development of new ideas for solving practical problems and the recognition of merit by suitable awards at intervals.

Promote science and technology at the grassroots level, through science exhibitions and fairs in the villages as well as urban areas, popularising income generating technologies, and facilities, interaction between entrepreneurs and science and technology awards for innovation and best performance in the key areas from district to national level.

The minister said it was the duty of the science and technology educators to encourage the young ones to acknowledge this fact and to support them with available resources, both human and material to ensure the eradication of science and technological illiteracy in the country.

He said, due to the educational reforms, which gave prior attention to science and technology, there has been an increase in the number of students admitted to study science programmes.

The ministry was also in the process of shaping out the necessary guidelines for an acceptable use of Information Communication Technology to create an enabling environment for development.

Ms. Christian Churcher, Minister of State for Basic, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education, in a speech, was hopeful that the implementation strategies would address gender issues at all levels of the educational system "to pull girls along with the boys."

"Our desire to make a lot more girls take to the science should reflect in our development and use of all teaching and learning materials by making them more girl friendly," she said.

She cautioned the committee to be mindful of the large number of scientists that would be produced by the year 2010 and ensure that job avenues and appropriate industrial links were created to absorb them for meaningful national development.