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KOICA presents teaching and learning materials to GES
The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has presented teaching and learning materials to the Ghana Education Service(GES), worth over $1 million, to support the successful implementation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in basic schools.
It forms part of the $8 million KOICA Girls STEM project, aimed to enhance and encourage girls to partake in science education, being implemented in 10 districts, namely the Central and Eastern Regions.
It includes beakers, test tubes, tripod stands, spring balance, test tube holders, stopwatches, hand lenses, measuring cylinders, a set of garden stools, and others to encourage the practical learning of science programmes in the schools.
The Country Director of KOICA Ghana, Mr. Donghyun Lee who presented the education material yesterday in Accra, said, the “girls STEM project” was initiated by KOICA to embody the collective commitment to empowering young minds, breaking barriers, and fostering inclusivity in education.
“Today, we come together not only to review the progress made so far but also to witness a pivotal moment as we hand over essential teaching and learning materials that will further enhance the educational experience for our beneficiaries.
Education is the cornerstone of progress, and the Girls STEM by KOICA project stands as a testament to our belief that investing in the education of young girls is an investment in the future” Mr Lee said.
He said the four-year project, with funding support from KOICA, was a gender-responsive pedagogy project that generally seeks to improve the competency of Junior High School (JHS) STEM education, stressing that, about 400 JHS, were beneficiaries of the ongoing project.
The Director General of the GES, Dr Eric Nkansah who thanked KOICA for their immense contributions to Ghana’s education, especially in the area of STEM, was optimistic the presentation would improve the learning of science in the country.
He said about 12.5 per cent of students were able to pursue science programmes in the various Senior High Schools, stressing that girls’ participation in STEM education had significantly reduced.
Dr Nkansah implored Girls to embrace STEM education with all seriousness since science education had become one of the priority requirements to further their education at the tertiary level.
He called on benevolent individuals and organisations to support the Service and to improve science education in the various JHS and SHS, as the government welcomes such collaborations to achieve the STEM initiative.
Dr Nkansah said that by harnessing the power of STEM, Ghana could address societal challenges to enhance productivity and improve the overall quality of citizens.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN.
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
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Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
