Winneba (C/R), March 30, GNA - The Central Regional Disciplinary Committee Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Mintah has expressed wary about the inability of males to pursue Home Economics courses in tertiary institutions in the country. He expressed concern that the programme has unfortunately been perceived as a preserve for females and pointed out that it should be undertaken by both men and women.

Mr Mintah was speaking at an annual dinner dance of the Home Economics Students Association (HESA) as part of the week celebration of the Faculty of Science of the University of Education, Winneba. The theme for the week was "Information and Communication Technology: The Role of the Teacher". The occasion was also used to crown Patricia Glago, a level 100 student as "Miss HESA" 2009. Mr Mintah observed that marriages were ending up on the rocks and most fathers were neglecting their children. He challenged the department to use their expertise in home management to solve the problems.

The Head of the Home Economics Department of the University, Miss Ophelia Quartey said the Department would organize a home-coming summit to foster closer collaboration with the alumni and advance the cause of the department. Miss Quartey mentioned some of the achievements chalked by the department as developing local food recipe for local dishes and the publication of a research journal for the Home Economics Research Association of Ghana (HERAG).

The President of HESA, Mrs Evelyn Tetteh-Antwi advised teachers to upgrade their knowledge in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enable them impact positively on their students. The level 300 entrepreneurship group donated a deep-freezer to the department from proceeds of their project in mini-business. Awards were also presented to some members of staff and students of the department for their outstanding contributions in their fields of endeavour.