Narration: The Ghana Association of Science Teachers (GAST), with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE), has fashion out moves to introduce mobile science laboratories to be used to enhance the teaching of science in remote and less endowed schools in the country. An ECOWAS Science Fair will additionally be staged between member states for the basis of knowledge sharing and acquisition. The President of GAST, Dr. Christian Anthony-Krueger who gave the hint said the move is to help boost the interest of teachers and students in the study of science. Dr. Krueger was speaking at the official opening of the 53rd Annual Conference Workshop of GAST at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.Correspondent Isaac Asare was at the meeting and has the story for radio Ghana
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The Ghana Association of Science Teachers has undoubtedly being the best organized subject teachers’ association in Ghana. With branches in all the ten regions of the country, the association has made modest strives in promoting science teaching and learning at the pre-tertiary level over the years. Additionally, GAST has and continue to polarize science through science fairs and has produced some of the best science textbooks for all levels of education in the country. This year’s conference of GAST attended by over 500 registered science teachers and observers centered on the theme: Science and Technology Education: A tool for Creating Wealth out of Waste. The President of GAST, Dr Krueger in an address said the 4-day conference among other things seeks to deliberate and showcase how waste materials could be utilized and recycled to produce useful materials that can help generate some monetary income through the teaching and learning of science as a subject. He explained that despite giant strives to develop through the use of science and technology the country continues to be a net exporter of raw materials for industries overseas. He observed that the level of scientific technological literacy among the youth constitutes only 44 percent whilst that of adults is nothing to write home about. Relatively, less than 15 percent of Ghanaians aged 15 years and above are scientifically and technologically literate. The situation, he narrated has impacted negatively on the lives of the majority of the people; hence garbage management appears to be an unsurmountable challenge to science in Ghana. According to him science education is expensive since it is a capital intensive venture, stressing that for a country like Ghana to reap the full benefit of science education, the institutions where science teachers are trained must be well resourced to meet the challenges of the ever changing world. He called for concerted effort in ensuring that science education dominates a greater proportion of the curriculum at the basic schools in particular so that students can develop more interest and affinity to the subject. This he noted will enable the country taps all the potential human resource for science and science related programmes. A Retired Science Educationist, Emmanuel Attah Gyamerah, underscored the urgent need to evolve a sustainable solution to poor water and sanitation problem in the country. According to him poor water and sanitation contribute largely to the nation’s poor health and high incidence of infant mortality figures and emphasized that if simple scientific methods are adopted in dealing with waste, then we would be contributing to a healthy environment in which we are assured of good health and prosperity. He therefore challenged scientists to set the agenda for a shift in mentality of the populace to dealing with waste as a resource rather than a material to be discarded. He was of the view that waste management, must begin at the earliest former education where methods for minimizing waste generation, and proper waste disposal and utilization should be taught. The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni for her part renewed government’s commitment to providing the needed tool and infrastructure to complement the effort of science teacher in the country. She added that teacher motivation and retention are equally central to government’s educational agenda and charge teachers to put up their best in making science an enjoyable subject.
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