By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Feb. 17, GNA – Master Melvin Mawuli Papanii Agboada, a 14-year-old level 100 Mathematical Science student at the University of Ghana, has debunked students’ assertion that mathematics and science are difficult subjects to study.
Master Agboada stated, “Math and science are not difficult; they are about application.”
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, he indicated that such notions and the attitude of some teachers of the two subjects make it difficult for students to fully appreciate the importance of building a career from it.
He encouraged young people to take their academics seriously, build their motivation, and devote time to studying, and practicing their math lessons, adding that they must break down topics into steps to help them better understand.
According to him, he had always loved studying mathematics and science, revealing that he read science in senior high school and wants to use the study of mathematical science to help solve some of Ghana’s peculiar problems.
Sharing his academic journey, he noted that he was jumped a few times during his primary school days after commencing schooling at the age of three months, adding that he became a boarder at Achimota Basic School at the age of nine as a junior high school form one pupil.
He added that his parents registered him for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at form two, which he successfully passed and gained admission to Mfantsipim School, where he excelled in the study of science for three years.
Master Agboada stated that after passing his West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) with A’s in both core and elective mathematics, his parents wanted him
to pursue medicine, but he opted to study mathematical science, driven by his passion to become a robotics engineer.
Miss Getrude Akweley Addy, a science teacher and mother of Master Agboada, advised parents to encourage their children and help build their passion, noting that they must support them with extra tuition when they have challenges in some subjects.
Miss Addy, answering a question on depriving his son of his childhood, said, that every child is different; therefore, children with special abilities must be encouraged and pushed to attain their capabilities.
According to her, jumping exceptional children ahead of their class was acceptable and in the best interest of the child, indicating that the new trend of having pupils write BECE and WASSCE ahead of their peers has no harm attached to it.
“If the child has the ability to do it, he, or she should be given the needed encouragement, support, and teachers to make it,” she added.
Miss Addy further stated that, “We are not stressing the children. I don’t think jumping the children will make them miss their childhood.”
She appealed to math and science teachers to use innovative ways to teach the subjects for their pupils to understand instead of painting a picture that it is difficult to study such courses.
GNA