Science Clinic for 74 Mpohor students

SEVENTY four students, brought together from Junior and Senior High schools in the Mpohor Wassa East District, have participated and benefited tremendously from this year's annual Science Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) Clinic in the district.

The one-week practical course, which ended on Friday, was geared towards empowering students to take up science and mathematics education in the district, to a higher level.

According to the Coordinator of the programme, Mr. Ainoo Francis, 37 female students and 33 males, were selected from both senior and junior high schools in the district, to participate.

The participants, he said, were taken through a series of practical work and scientific experiments, aimed at equipping and broadening their knowledge on science education.

At the end of the training course, Mr. Francis said a quiz competition, to test the understanding of the students on what they learnt, was conducted, and the brilliant ones among them, who scored high marks, were recognized, and as such were presented with awards on the final day, which fell on Friday.

To this end, the organizers of the programme presented assort books and mathematical sets to the deserving students, who scored the high marks.

Master Clifford Larbi, of Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) D/A Primary School, emerged the first, followed by Master Kotoka Francis, of Daboase Secondary Technical, while Miss Gifty Baaba, of Mpohor D/A Junior High School, followed him as the third.

Before the presentation of the awards, the Mpohor Wassa East District Director of Education, Ms. Gifty Asiedu-Okantah, noted that science and technology was one of the significant areas of studies in education, which the students can take as a career course, because of its importance. But, before any of them could do that, she charged them to be disciplined, hardworking, and above all, be determined.

She disclosed that one of the things that she had observed in the district was the lackadaisical attitude of young children towards education.

According to her, without determination and self motivation, it would be impossible for any of the children in the district, to reach greater heights.

This, she said, was because “perseverance and determination were the key elements for a successful education.”

The educationist has henceforth tasked the students to set goals for themselves in their lives, while pushing their careers forward, to make sure they achieved that.

She said children in the district, must eschew the habit of absenting themselves from school, with the simple excuse of parental neglect.

According to her, many students in the country have made it out of their own determination, without any or little parental support, because of their determination and zeal to succeed.

A representative of the Regional Director of Education, Madam Theresa Dickson, in her address, noted that as much as the nation had grown to accept that science technology and mathematics education, were major players in the country's total development, it was important for instructors to do follow up activities, to monitor children, who have benefited from programmes such as the STME one-week course.

Mr. Alhassan James, a Finance Officer of the World Vision International, one of the major sponsors of the programme, who gave an address on behalf of the District Representative of World Vision, Madam Elizabeth Sagoe, challenged the participants to aspire to greater heights.

He said World Vision had attached so much seriousness to education in the district, which was geared towards ensuring the total wellbeing, and transformation of the school-going child.

For that matter, he said the organization had made available teaching and learning materials, to many of the schools in the district, for the school children to have access to the best teaching and learning materials.

He advised the students to utilise the opportunities made available to them, and avoid social vices such as premarital sex, that could end in them falling prey to teenage pregnancy.

Instead of that, he urged them to utilize their precious time in learning, and make their books their friends.

Meanwhile, products and inventions made by the students at the end of the programme were displayed for exhibition, and public viewing.