Accra, Dec. 08,GNA-The Ministry of Energy is sponsoring a representative of the Ghana Association of Science Teachers (GAST) to participate in this year's International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) slated for December 2 to 11 in Azerbaijan.

This follows a request made by the president of GAST, Mr. Peter Logo recently at the 51st annual conference held in Sekondi. He had asked the deputy Minister of Energy, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah to support the activities of science teachers in the country. They had also asked the Ministry to consider the oil-find as most appropriate time for the country to improve on her technology hence the crucial role of Science teachers. This was disclosed by Mr. Buah in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

He explained that the move formed part of efforts to collaborate effectively with GAST to improve on the standard of teaching and learning of Science and Technology in the country. Meanwhile, GAST has commended the Ministry of Energy for the swift action to their request.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the president of GAST Mr. Peter Logo and copied to the GNA. The statement read in part, "on behalf of GAST, I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Energy especially the deputy Minister in charge of Petroleum, Mr. Buah for sponsoring the trip of a representative of GAST to the 6th IJSO conference.

In another development, members of GAST have called on government to increase the retiring age of Science teachers in the country to 65 years. According to the association, the move would help to among other things, address the shortage of Science teachers in the classroom and ultimately improve Science and Technology in the country.