The Italian government has praised Ghana for promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country since that was a catalyst to speed up the nation’s transformation.
Mr Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Cooperation, who announced this explained that the promotion of STEM education in the country would go a long way to train the needed technicians to operationalize industries and other institutions to boost the nation’s economy.
He announced this when he led a 13-member Italian delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Education Minister in Accra on Monday.
The visit was to deepen the already existing relationship between Ghana and the people of Italy which spans several decades.
Apart from deepening the ties between the two countries, the delegation also used the visit to discuss other areas that stood the chance of promoting the development of the two countries.
The Director for the Italian Agency for Cooperation hinted at plans to support the development of Ghana’s education by enhancing the curriculum as well as promoting entrepreneurship among the populace so they could enhance their business activities.
Increase in trade
The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Daniela d'Orlandi, on her part stated that effort was being made to bring many investors into the country to invest in various sectors to boost the local economy.
She recounted efforts being made to establish a skills training centre in the country to uplift the skills of the youth as well as entrepreneurship.
The Ambassador promised to collaborate with various institutions and stakeholders to promote the development of their operations to improve the local economy.
Transformation progressing
The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, indicated that frantic efforts were being made to innovate the nation out of poverty, reiterating the fact that education remains the priority of the government since that was the tool for the development of the nation.
He recounted how the introduction of the Free Senior High School programme has boosted school enrolment in the country by creating the opportunity for many youth to get access to quality education which was critical in poverty reduction.
Shifting from 19th to 21st century
Dr Adutwum stated that all that he was doing was to help shift the nation’s education from the 19th-century to the 21st-century system so that Ghanaian students could compete with their peers across the rest of the globe.
He announced that moves were underway to introduce the Italian language in one Senior High school so they could promote the speaking of the language in the country and the rest of the world.