What is the value of science education in Ghana?
Straight away, it is a foolish question to ask. Who in his right frame of mind would raise a query with regard to the relevance of science education in Ghana? Ghana is blessed with highly trained doctors, nurses, pharmacists and engineers.
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In between the enumerated list is a gamut of other professionals in the sciences. Therefore, the relevance of science can be justified on grounds that institutions manned by scientists and persons with science backgrounds are still functioning for the benefit and delight of us all. Maybe we can clap here. But that is all there is to it—unfortunately.
I do not think, as a society, we’ve had all that we can ever glean from science education. As I have had occasion to write, most of the best and brightest in junior high schools ended up as science students.
And it is in fact a universal truth that owing to the rigour and thoroughness that the subject matter requires, teachers more often (though sometimes erroneously) goad these students to pursue the science programme in the various senior high schools.
Sadly, there isn’t much to be said other than our science students becoming doctors, nurses, academics, engineers and technicians and simply perpetuating the status quo. Others being disillusioned by the lack of prospects and their place in society quietly divert into the financial sector.
That is where the story ends! Aside the minimal benefits derived from science, as already pointed out, its closest benefit is that of social prestige.
We find ourselves in the midst of an energy crisis. And as has been well documented, every creature on the face of the landmass called Ghana has been scathed in one way or the other.
Industries have. Students have. Individuals find it hard to plan their lives and activities. The cost of living is getting high as people who usually prepare food for storage have to live with the grim prospect of throwing out spoilt food every now and then into the bin.
Within this context, one would have thought that a scientist or group would have come up with some devise or culinary method or advice which is revolutionary within the local context to at least assuage or make things better.
But as usual, we are always looking out of the window for some help or assistance from one state or the other.
But this should come as no surprise - not the least. We worry the least about setting the agenda and trend in this country. Most of the revolutionising inventions that we rely on in this country have been by kind courtesy of some person in some country.
Why can’t it be us developing solutions to the unique and not-so unique challenges that confront us? The teaching of science, its research and development is sincerely the bedrock of every modern state.
Every tale of progress and advancement of a nation has an integral part to it, the development of science and technology.
In fact, it was science and technology that made it possible for states to advance their conquest and proselytisation attempts beyond their national boundaries.
The manner in which we treat science education is both a travesty of the subject matter and evil. The best brains are invited and ill-fed till they eventually become redundant or helpless.
We sit in this country and all we can do is to conveniently blame “Mahama” for all that does not go on well. Of course, leadership matters a lot and that would be the subject matter of another discussion, but it has to be stressed that the current trend of helplessness by everyone is totally uninspiring.
Out of the ashes of despair, we should expect something better and meaningful. We should be venturing and attempting something. Most importantly, those in the sciences should by this time thinking through how to make the power situation better.
This is my view: it is a damning verdict on science education for those who teach and study to stand and stare as our nation slips into a state of darkness. Don’t be surprised if in no time we are left with no option but to grope in the darkness just to find one another.
What is the benefit of science education to us as a nation? If there is any benefit at all, it is just the barest minimum of benefits that we are receiving so far. This is consistent with our national outlook.
After all these years of cultivating and benefiting immensely from cocoa, our greatest achievement is usually related to the amount of cocoa beans we export and not what we make out of it.
It does not take much to see what science and technology has done for other countries. Why can’t it be us?
