Government committed to investing in science

Mr Daniel Syme, Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, said Government was committed to investing in science and technology to facilitate national development.

“There is so much to gain from science and technology because most national development challenges such as sanitation and waste management can be effectively addressed through the application of scientific measures,” he said.

Mr Syme said this at the Regional Science, Technology and Mathematics Innovation Education (STMIE) Camp held at the Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School.

He said government viewed science and technology as advancement in technology in Ghana which was very critical for national progress.

The discovery of oil in the country, he noted, was another frontier to which science and technology education must be directed and urged stakeholders in education to develop science and technology curricula in tertiary institutions. Mr. Syme expressed regret that most of the youth in the country, especially in the Upper East Region, developed interest in science related subjects to become doctors, pharmacists and veterinary officers, but unfortunately majority of them were not able to pursue those courses due to poor grades in those subjects.

He blamed the problem on inadequate science laboratories, equipment, qualified teachers and other educational facilities in schools in the region.

He appealed to teachers to find creative ways to make the teaching of science and technology interesting.

The six-day camp, which was under the theme; “Gender, Science and Technology Innovation: Our Benefit, Our Future” attracted 290 students; 145 boys and 145 girls, from the 13 municipal and districts in the region.