By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, Feb 16, GNA – The Sagnarigu Municipal Directorate of Education, in collaboration with Centre for Active Learning and Integrated Development (CALID), an NGO, has organised a quiz for girls in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the municipality.
The event, which was to encourage girls’ full participation in STEM, forms part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Day for Women and Girls in Science.
The participating schools were Kanvili Presbyterian JHS, Bagabaga Demonstration ‘A’ and ‘B’ JHS, Tiyumba M/A JHS and Sagnarigu Girls Model JHS.
After a vigorous test of the girls’ knowledge on Science, Mathematics, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the Sagnarigu Girls Model School was crowned the overall winner of the competition.
Mr Ibrahim Issah Jango, STEM Coordinator, Sagnarigu Municipal Directorate of Education, during the event in Tamale, said it was to promote the full and equal access to STEM by girls in the municipality.
Mr Jango said it was important to periodically organise such competitions to help erase the erroneous impression that science was meant only for boys.
He emphasised that incidences of domestic violence against women and girls in the country could be addressed if various stakeholders supported girls’ education in STEM.
He appealed to parents and guardians to encourage and support their children and wards to take up courses in STEM to enable them to maximise the emerging opportunities in the sector.
Mrs Samira Yahaya, the Programmes Officer at CALID, said the collaboration with the Sagnarigu Municipal Directorate of Education was in line with CALID’s efforts at providing support for girls to stay in school and complete their education.
She said the days where STEM was only noted for boys were gone, adding that girls who had interest in science must embrace it and work hard to achieve their dreams.
She advised them to eschew premarital sex and other promiscuous lifestyles and concentrate on their studies to become responsible citizens in the country.
As part of the partnership, CALID provided all the participating schools with sanitary pads, exercise books and pens to enable the girls focus on their education.
Miss Issah Shamsiyah, a student of Sagnarigu Girls Model School, expressed gratitude to the partners for their support towards boosting the interest of girls in STEM.
She urged other girls not to shy way from STEM subjects as they were among of the easiest subject areas if one paid critical attention to them.
GNA