Students urged to translate academic excellence into work

Accra, July 12, GNA - Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports, on Wednesday urged students not only to aim at excelling in examinations or competitions but to translate that excellence into work.

He said students should envisage a world where they could make a difference after excelling in their education adding that their academic credentials should propel them to a certain level in the world. Papa Owusu-Ankomah said this when members of Students for Advancement for Global Entrepreneurship, Ghana (SAGE-Ghana) called on him to inform him about a national competition it organised and to seek the Ministry's support to compete at an international competition scheduled to take place in Shanghai, China, next month.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah said the economic conditions of the country did not allow students to be employed while on vacation and that was why they encouraged students to have the spirit of volunteerism to serve the nation while awaiting employment.

Mr Seth Donkor, Acting Country Coordinator, SAGE-Ghana, said the programme began this year with six schools - St Augustine's College; Presbyterian Boys Secondary School; Adisadel College; University Practice Secondary School; Aggrey Memorial School and Preset High School - taking part in competition.

The students undertook some project works at the end of which Presbyterian Boys won.

Their project work was on beautifying the school with perennial flowers; putting waste paper into a bin and an outreach programme entitled 93My money, Your money, Our money=94 to teach people on the proper handling of money.

Eight of the students and a tutor would leave for China to take part in the competition.

He said the programme was good for the development of the intellect of students and preparing them for the world of business and appealed to the Ministry for support to sustain the programme.