EducationSOCIAL DEV'T NEWS

Let’s Start the Study of Agriculture from Basic Schools – James Quaye

The Secretary for the New Vision Vegetable Farmers Association, Mr. James Quaye has added his voice to calls on government through the Ministry Of Education to make the study of Agricultural Science compulsory to all students right from class one to the tertiary institution to boost their knowledge and  also build their interest in agriculture.

Mr. Quaye while speaking on Rite FM’s Morning Show, the Rite Morning Ride, revealed that Ghana must move beyond traditional farming, adding that the only option the country has is to make sure her citizens gain the necessary knowledge and skills needed as long as agricultural mechanization and modernization are concerned.

This, he added is only possible if students of basic schools are helped to understand agriculture.

“For Ghana to get to the much needed level, students from the basic schools must be helped to understand agriculture from the scratch. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy which will help prepare them to take up agriculture as a business,” he said.

The Secretary also expressed optimism in the ability of the country to produce enough to feed its citizens and sell the surplus to other countries.

“Ghana as a country is capable of producing enough to feed its citizens and sell the surplus to other countries for foreign exchange to support the economy as well as getting enough to feed the local industries as long as the ‘one district, one factory’ policy is concerned and produce more people into the agriculture value chain due to the fertility of the soil,” he underscored.

He therefore questioned how the much anticipated agric industrialization can be achieved without the necessary attention at the basic level.

“How can this come to pass when agriculture has been integrated with science at the junior level before students are allowed to choose it as an elective subject in the senior high schools across the country,” he asked.

Mr. Quaye advocated for the revival of the school farm system in schools which he was sure would result in students accepting agric as a very good economic venture and not a form of punishment.

This he said will help create more able-bodied youth for the sector.

“We can get more youth who will willingly accept the mantle to go into agriculture and as a result, gradually we can drastically reduce unemployment in the country,” he said.

In addition he said there must be a curriculum to help facilitate the policy for a better Ghana.

He further urged the authorities and the industry players to support the call to produce more people who will be equipped into the agriculture value chain.

By Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org/austinofori.addo@gmail.com

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