Tema, April 2, GNA - Nii Armah Ashietey, Tema Municipal Chief Executive, on Saturday stressed the need to create conditions that will attract more youth to the study and application of science.

"As part of the driving force behind the education reforms, we must develop confidence in our ability to succeed by informed, systematic scientific experimentation," he added.

Nii Ashietey was addressing the ninth national conference of the Tema Secondary School Old Students Association (TOSA) at Tema. The theme for the conference was "the way forward". He, therefore, called on all stakeholders in education to work in concert to re-orientate the education system to promote creativity and acquisition of more flexible employable skills.

"This is because the experiences of the last, and demands of the new centuries, require that Ghana places more emphasis on the kind of educational system, which can produce people capable of using initiative and resources to create wealth.

Nii Ashietey said the TMA had awarded a contract for the construction of the first phase of a two-storey six-classroomed block estimated at 306 million cedis for the school.

The assembly has also selected TEMASO and Star Kindergarten Primary/JSS at Community Five to be linked with counterpart schools in Greenwich in London. These, the Municipal Chief Executive said, would form the nucleus of a wider educational twinning programme.

He noted that old students have a lot to contribute to the educational development of their alma mater and the nation at large. That is why, he said, members of TOSA should redouble their efforts in bringing the needed material, financial and moral assistance to TEMASO.

The exemplary conduct and exceptional achievements of the old boys and girls, he said, could be a source of inspiration and encouragement to the younger generation.

Nii Ashietey praised the school's 1974 group for donating a large consignment of sports equipment worth eight million cedis to TEMASO, and for constructing a clinic for the school.

The association also sponsored last year's Speech and Prize-giving Day of the school. Mrs Victoria Opoku, Acting Headmistress, said the school had seen a great deal of changes, with the student population now standing at 1,451.

She expressed regret that the available infrastructure was, however, not enough to support the increase in student population. She, therefore, expressed her sincere gratitude to the TMA for undertaking to construct a six-classroomed block for the school.

Mr Jean Aka, Managing Director of ECOBANK, an old student who chaired the function, said the dynamism of old boys and girls was being exploited socially, economically and politically.

He criticised those who relish the "good old days" but refuse to help others, saying they must rather "emulate our forefathers who worked selflessly to get us good education".