More Pupils In Basic Schools Encouraged To Study Science Related Courses

Exec. Dir. SavSign

As part of efforts to ensure that more basic school pupils particularly girls show keen interest in the study of science, technology and mathematics, over one hundred girls attended this year’s Savana Signatures Tech Girls Annual Conference in Tamale.

A lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Patricia Formadi who opened the conference, told participants that they were more than capable to learn any science related course up to the highest academic level if only they were serious and determined.

She however urged young females in basic schools to refrain from premarital sex and other negative behaviours that had the tendency to truncate their studies and ruin their future. “Refrain from premarital sex, watching of movies, soap operas and concentrate more on your studies”, Ms. Formadi admonished.

The Tech Girls Conference is an initiative under Tech Girls Project currently being implemented by Savana Signatures (SavSign) and seeks to encourage girls to recognize and get use to the value and importance of STME. 

Each year the project brings over 100 girls from various schools to interact with ICT models or career women as part of efforts to inspire them to make better career choices through education. Targeting children at the upper primary and junior high school (JHS) levels, the project is also aimed at encouraging children to opt for STME related courses as well as empowering them to use information and communication technology (ICT) skills to improve upon their academic performances in school.

The main objective of the project which is in its second phase (August 2014 –July 2015) would further strengthen the participation of girls’ in ICT skills development; increase the girls’ confidence in the use of ICT tools; create awareness about the use of ICT tools to acquire knowledge, skills, learn and effectively communicate; and increase the girls’ interest in continuing STME education. 

The Executive Director of SavSign John Stephen Agbenyo observed that there was a wide gap between boys and girls in the study and use of ICT at various levels of education, hence a deliberate implementation of Tech Girls to bridge the existing gap. 

A Cross sector of participants at the conference

In an interview with journalists, Mr. Agbenyo said the organisation hope to scale up the project to benefit many more girls in the Volta Region and if possible the entire country. 

A JHS Two student of Tiyumba School and conference participant Abdallah Naazira told Savannahnews, that through the project she and her colleagues had learned a lot of things including blogging, coding, programming and how to write articles for publication.

She appealed to all girls in the primary and JHS to show keen interest in the study of science and mathematics related subjects, stressing that “we’ll need IT in our everyday lives in order to live a meaningful life”.

An estimated 120 school girls from both primary and JHS (100 girls in primary and 20 girls in JHS) were enrolled in the project in 2014. The beneficiary pupils were from primary schools in the Tamale Metropolis, Sagnarigu District and Savelugu-Nanton Municipality.

These pupils were trained in computer programming using Hypertext mark-up language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) and Hypertext Pre-processor (PHP). They were also introduced to Code Lobster platform.

Savana Signatures is an ICT for development organisation that work in the Northern and Volta Regions of Ghana. They empower women, girls and the youth with the knowledge and skills of ICT as well as educate them on sexual reproductive health and rights.