Kumasi (Ash), Jan 21, GNA-The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (MOESS) has contracted Philip Harris International, a United Kingdom based computer firm, to clear all obsolete equipment in the 110 Science Resource Centres throughout the country and refurbish them with modern equipment and chemicals. Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) who announced this, said the exercise was aimed at addressing the inadequate and ineffective teaching and learning of science in pre-tertiary institutions due to lack of up-to-date equipment and human resource.

He was opening a three-week workshop for 250 high school science teachers in Kumasi on Monday under the theme, "Quality Science and Technology Education, Quality Life". The workshop coincided with the presentation of certificates to six students who participated in the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) in South Korea last year.

Mr Bannerman-Mensah expressed regret that many science resource centres did not have enough qualified teachers to manage the science software and equipment installed there. He said since the inception of the science resource centres programme, 468 science teachers and technicians have been trained. Mr Bannerman-Mensah announced that new service resource centres would be established at the universities of Winneba and Cape coast to ensure that graduate teachers were adequately trained to handle and manage science equipment before they enter the GES. The Director General charged the participants to take responsibility for their centres to ensure a holistic science education for the youth.

Mrs Sophia Gifty Awortwi, Head of Science Education Unit of the GES observed that apart from the regular trained personals for the science resource centres, more teachers would be trained to upgrade their skills in the teaching and learning of the subject using multimedia science software and other equipment. She advised science teachers to motivate their students to be good scientist and to acquire higher technical knowledge to serve the country.

Mr Jim Hall, a representative of Philip Harris International stated that about 268 science resource centre teachers have been trained to manage the refurbished centres. Mr Emmanuel Atta Gyamera, a chemist who presided, noted that science resource centres had a positive impact on the teaching and learning of science and lauded the MOESS for revamping and refurbishing the centres with modern equipment and chemicals. 21 Jan. 09