The Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South Municipality, Hon. Maxwell Lugudor has donated sixty (66) farm implements to St. Paul’s SHS (S, Denu in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region in Ghana, West Africa. Presenting the items on behalf of the MCE, Mr. Prince Owusu Peprah, Head of the Administrative Unit noted that the items were to help develop the School farms and horn the Agriculture and Engineering talents in students.
“In fulfillment of the Government of Ghana’s PFJ Phase II Initiative, I present to St. Paul’s SHS on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South Municipality who happens to be an old boy, 30 pieces of Wellington Boots and 36 pieces of cutlasses to help the school develop its school farms and to also help in horning the Agric Engineering talents in the students. The office of the MCE has also pledged an amount of GHC1000.00 in support of the School’s Farm Project as a means of supplementing its food production needs.”
The MCE made the donation at the recently held ORMI Volta STEM Fair, 2024, which took place from July 5 – 6, 2024 at SPACO. He noted that the theme chosen for the project was more relevant now and in synch with the Government’s initiatives of modern education. “Mr. Chairman, the theme chosen for this programme: Developing Future Engineers Today” is not only significant but very realistic, appropriate and even more relevant at this stage of Ghana’s development. The Government of Ghana has invested substantial resources into the education sector in recent years. as a result, the youth literacy rate in Ghana is now over 92% according to the 2020 Ghana Statistical Service Census Report. GOG also recognizes the importance of digital and STEM education, which has been reflected in some significant policy commitments. STEM subjects are gaining lots of attention, and the country is relying on them to create meaningful opportunities for the youth in future”, he stated.
Read Also: AI Smart Bin Wins Overall Best Project @ 2024 ORMI Volta STEM Fair
He also tasked stakeholders to instill STEM virtues in students and encouraged the young people to innovate, invent and rise up to the challenge and make their communities and Ghana a better place: “Mr. Chairman, I believe we are gathered here today to recognize the incredibly talented young boys and girls who have travelled here from different districts and municipalities within the Volta Region to exhibit their Science and engineering projects. Their work is a testament to the potential that awaits to blossom when we inspire young people to take part in the scientific enterprise, thus tackling tough problems; testing new hypotheses; to try, and then fail, and then try again until they succeed. These are the virtues we need to instill in these young and brilliant students who hold the key to the future we all anticipate… Mr. Chairman, students, science can change our future, and the future of our society lies in the hands of aspiring young people like you. Young people who can innovate, invent and stay resilient, would be able to rise up to the challenge and make our country and planet a better place.”
He therefore thanked the ORMI CEO for her initiative and strong commitment to the development of science in Ghana’s youth.
Mr. Godwin Amelor, the Municipal Director of Education, Ketu South who was also the Chairman for the occasion, called on students and young people to demonstrate critical thinking, as education in Ghana now was moving from memorizing things to a more manipulative way of learning; “The event ORMI Volta STEM Fair am told has brought about 22 schools gathering here. Ladies and Gentlemen, as Ghana moves from content-based curriculum, the learner is expected to demonstrate critical thinking and put every knowledge acquired into practice. The new curriculum is expected to improve education delivery through carefully crafted standards developed by education sector expects including teachers, researchers, consultants and advocacy groups… The modern curriculum increases student interest in learning and also engage them deeply and meaningful in rich rigorous content for adequate preparation for national development in a rapidly changing global environment. Ladies and gentlemen, education in Ghana is now shifting from memorizing things to a more manipulative of real objects that the learner can also feel at the internet. It is on this background that the one-teacher-one-laptop; one student-one-laptop comes in handy to achieve this goal.”
Mr. Amelor also appealed for a Bus to foster the development of science in students in the Ketu South education directorate; “In our various schools we organize PLC sessions all over the country to help the facilitators at the pre-tertiary level to enact the intended curriculum. We in Ketu South at the beginning of this year have organized practical based capacity building workshops for all our teachers at the basic schools. The directorate in collaboration with education innovators also organized science practical lessons for learners in the final year. We also have a science lab at Atsivuta RC School which was built by one man called Mr. Yakubu Adzage. But the challenge that we have here is the personnel to manage the science Lab for us. We need to employ a qualified lab technician to manage the place for us, and also how to convey students to the lab from all schools in the Municipality. We therefore appeal for a bus to help us in developing future engineers today.”
Read Also: ORMI MD Calls On Industries To Show Interest In Children’s Creativity
The Chief of the area, Torgbui Agbodo Pasaku of Hatsukofe applauded the Fair and all the wonderful projects displayed by the students. However, he was concerned about how the projects would be turned into reality for the market; “I remember what you did here was quiet like the Art and Craft I did about 40, 60 years ago. That Art and Craft is exactly what I saw today. You’ve modernized everything in such a way that, I thought of it and said we have to improve this. The improvement is what, the resources to improve it. Teachers concerned, masters concerned, the Director, we need your concern. Thank you.”
This concern for translating the students’ creativity into reality was also corroborated by the Chief of Viefe: “We the custodians of the land are proud to be part of today’s exhibition. Indeed, we saw a lot of wonderful things as our earlier speakers acknowledged. But the question here is that how are we going to translate these beautiful creativities into realities? I thank the speaker who spoke about the hardworking MCE, how the Government is investing into our educational sector nowadays. But are we really paying much attention to our creative sector? Or are we waiting for the new curriculum before we start doing what we are supposed to do as a country. In fact, Ghana, for that matter Volta Region we have a lot of talents with my experience today. I thank Madam Attakpah, the CEO of ORMI for this great opportunity, this great door opened to our young, vibrant students to showcase their creativity and talents to the whole world. And we as Chiefs, precisely in Viefe land, hosting this programme today, we are overwhelmed and just want to thank Madam to continue the good work – giving back to the community…so we are once again appealing to the Government to pay attention to the facilitators, the teachers so that this creative mind will develop and give us better engineers in the future. Thank you very much,” Torgbui Dorkutsu pleaded.
