By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, March 10 GNA – The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation is set to strengthen its partnership with the Ghana Education Service to provide the requisite infrastructure and facilities to enhance the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in schools.
Lady Julia Osei Tutu, the wife of the Asantehene, who stated this, said STEM education must be taken seriously and students, particularly girls, must be encouraged to take it up as their course to give the country a brighter future.
Lady Julia, who is also the Patron of the Foundation, which seeks to improve the quality of life for underprivileged Ghanaian children through the provision of educational infrastructure, water, and sanitation as well as health facilities, pointed out that, STEM education was the surest way to bring the needed development to the country.
She was speaking at a Mentorship Masterclass 2023 programme for girls in some Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Ashanti Region to commemorate the International Women’s Day Celebration.
The mentorship programme was held under the theme “Digital: Ensuring today’s Technology benefits all Girls and Women.”
It was attended by girls from 20 SHSs in the Ashanti region who were mentored by four accomplished women.
Among the topics, they were taken through were ‘Etiquette’ and ‘Understanding oneself and Developing a unique identity’.
The mentors were Mrs Margaret Boateng Sekyere, Board Chair of Societe General Bank, Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng, Director of Programmes, Anglican Diocese of Accra, Dr Phyllis Tawiah, Lecturer, (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Dr Eunice Akyereko Adjei, an Engineer.
Lady Julia advised the girls to use their devices such as phones wisely and not be allowed to be influenced by their negativities.
She encouraged the girls to eschew all forms of antisocial behaviours and take their studies seriously
Professor Mrs Atinuke Olusola Adebanji, Head of the Department for Statistics and Actuarial Science at KNUST emphasized the need for women and girls to be trained and empowered in digitization to eliminate all forms of inequalities.
She said the digital gender gap must be bridged to ensure equality in the use of technology education.
Girls must be inspired and encouraged to use technology to solve problems in their communities, adding that digital rights were women’s rights.
Professor Mrs Adebanji urged girls and women to choose technology as a subject to help fight misleading content and discrimination against them.
Nana Afua Kobi Prempeh, Executive Director of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, said one of the major priorities of the Foundation was to ensure the welfare and proper development and growth of children, especially girls and young women in Ghanaian society.
GNA