Mr Kofi Agyarko, Director, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Climate at the Energy Commission has said science and engineering is no longer the preserve of the boy child considering efforts of girls in science competitions.
“If you observe the way the girls performed, it goes without saying that we have arrived as far as girl child education is concerned, I’m excited about the innovations’’ he said.
He made this pronouncement in an interview with the media after the close of the Eastern Region Senior High School’s Renewable Energy Challenge 2021 at the Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua.
The programme was organised by the Energy Commission in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and sponsored by Bui Power Authority.
Mamfe Methodist Girls Senior High School (MEGHIS) won the Eastern Region challenge after defeating seven other schools and therefore will be representing the region at the National Challenge competition.
Mr Agyarko said there have been a lot of calls to shift from the theoretical system of education which did not make graduates more productive and effective because they lacked creativity.
The programme is designed to solve problems and also bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Mr Agyarko said in this new era of globalisation most countries were drifting from the use of fossil fuel to renewable energy.
This, he said indicated that Ghana could not wait till the need arises before finding solutions, therefore it was essential to prepare this generation to appreciate the essence of renewable energy and come up with innovative ideas regarding the application that can make renewable energy work.
Mr Agyarko said his outfit was looking beyond Ghana and the dream was that Africa would converge in Ghana for such a competition.
“Human beings are action centres and if you want the best out of them, challenge them, saying, the young ones have lived up to the challenge,” he said.
Mrs Ellen Sarquah, Eastern Region Education Director of Human Resources, said fossil fuel from wood and plant sources got depleted over time.
She added as they got depleted, the sources of energy should be diversified as solar and wind explored.
She said as the sector went versatile, judicious use of energy came into sharp focus, industrial and domestic energy consumption was also being looked at to ensure that gadgets were all energy efficient.
“It is in this light that students are being imbued with knowledge and skills that can propel future generations to delve into the field of renewable energy and prospects there-in,” she said.
She said Ghana has to ensure that the energy potential was harnessed responsibly for current generations, indicating that competitions of this kind among the youth could not be overemphasized.
