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Science Resource Centres, Ghana Ministry of Education, 1995-1998

Overview

As part of an initiative by Ghanaian Ministry of Education to develop the Secondary level Education System, Findel Projects equipped 110 Science Resource Centres (SRCs) over four years, worth £19.5 million.

Each SRC had 5 teaching rooms / laboratories, one each for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Information & Communications Technology (ICT), which were designed to accommodate 45 pupils and one teacher. The 110 SRC's were established mainly in unused school buildings or current science laboratories and were strategically sited to serve six secondary schools in the surrounding area.

Solution

From 1995 a rolling programme of refurbishment took place commissioned by the Ministry Of Education. Findel Projects set up four concurrent exercises:

• Rolling shipment of equipment for installation which included all products, work surfaces, storage units and ancillary resources.
• On-going installation by 2 technical engineers, who remained in Ghana for 4 years to complete the installation of all centres and to supervise the IT equipment.
• Building of 110 buses (one per centre), which were used to transport pupils into the centres when required.
• Training of 10 Ghanaian teachers and science advisors by Solihull College in UK for 3 months.

All labs were refurbished with a specification from Findel Projects consultant Phil Godding (then Director of Science, Maths & Technology at Solihull College of H&FE) and supplied with a complete range of science equipment to enable the teaching of senior secondary science. With the development of the use of Information Technology (ICT) all laboratories were also supplied with PC and science related software including data logging systems.

Establishment of the SRCs was accompanied by a parallel programme of multi-level training, to upgrade the specific practical teaching skills of teachers, teacher trainers and technicians in the various disciplines of science and technology. The 10 UK educated Ghanaians assisted with training and gradually took over lead roles as trainers, educating 350 teachers and 110 technicians across Ghana.

In addition to addressing the specific needs of the curriculum, the Project provided a 'fast-track' access to modern methods of teaching and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in science. Findel Projects also helped and supported the Ministry of Education Science & Technology to evaluate and monitor the SRC's, after they were established. Within two to three years pass rates at 'O' level had increased by approx 63% for girls and 45% for boys.

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