ISODEC ends 2015 STME Girls Camp

The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), a non-governmental organization, has held the 2015 Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) Girls Camp to help encourage girls to develop interest in STME.

In all, 60 girls selected from Junior High Schools (JHS) in West Mamprusi and Mamprugu Moaduri Districts participated in the week-long exercise held at Walewale, to amongst others expose the girls to a real science laboratory and its equipment and how to use them to come out with scientific results.

The initiative formed part of the Tackling Education Needs Inclusively (TENI) project being implemented in five districts including West Mamprusi and Mamprugu Moaduri in northern Ghana by ISODEC with support from the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

The TENI project aims to increase enrolment, transition, retention and successful completion of school by girls as well as emphasizing inclusiveness in respect of children with disability.

The ISODEC came out with the STME Girls Camp to address the poor performance of girls in STME at the districts.

Mr David Wuni, the District Chief Executive for West Mamprusi, who closed the 2015 STME Girls Camp at Walewale on Friday, said a lot was being done to promote girls education and quality education in the district.

Mr Wuni said the West Mamprusi District was under-staffed in terms of teachers, and that, he had arranged with the authorities of the Gambaga College of Education to release the first batch of its teacher trainees to serve in the district to help improve academic standards.

He said similar arrangement was also made with the Bagabaga College of Education to release some of its trainees to serve in the West Mamprusi District.

Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, the Northern Regional Director of Education, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the government placed premium on girls’ education and urged girls to study hard to benefit from the government’s Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP), which was awarding scholarships to students, especially girls.

Alhaji Haroun admonished parents to take the education of their wards, especially the girls, seriously to guarantee them a better future.

He commended ISODEC and VSO for their efforts to ensuring quality education in the country.

Madam Agnes Gandaa, the Coordinator of Northern Ghana Programmes of ISODEC called for objective teacher deployment, devoid of political interference and favouritism to ensure improved education delivery at West Mamprusi and Mamprugu Moaduri Districts.

Madam Afishata Mohammed Abujaja, the Head of the Department for Agriculture Education at the Nyankpala Campus of the University for Development Studies, who spoke on the Role of Gender and Development in the study of Maths and Science, urged teachers to encourage girls to do more in science and maths.

Miss Baako Abibatu, a participant from Wulugu Ranch JHS said the experiences at the camp had encouraged her to learn hard to do well in science and maths subjects.