Minister of State In-charge of Agriculture, Dr Nurah Gyeile has reiterated calls on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to take another look at the curriculum of the country’s agricultural training schools.
According to him, most students after studying the various agric syllabi in school, are unable to figure out the challenges in the sector, denying them the opportunity to appreciate the several lucrative opportunities and prospects available in the sector.
The minister made the call when he appeared as special guest of honour during the launch of the AG-STUD Africa Boot Camp 2018 by the Agrihouse Foundation in the Accra.
In line with government policy, the Ministry of Education has the responsibility to review agricultural education to ensure the development of well-trained agricultural work-force including managers and specialists of various kinds.
The minister in charge of Agriculture, described Ghana’s agric sector as full of aged, unskilled and illiterate individuals and full of aged people who have not learnt any trade or pensioners who have retired from work.
Dr Nurah further added that the lack of youth in the agric sector is not out of their ignorance of the fortunes available in the sector but largely due to the fear of the unknown of venturing into such farming activities in the countryside.
He then emphasized that, agriculture is lucrative and there are a lot of prospects in the sector.
The Minister also commended Agrihouse Foundation for their AG-STUD Africa Boot Camp 2018 since it will draw more of the country’s youth into the sector and also towards the opportunities in the corporate world of agribusiness.
He added that the activities of the AG-STUD Africa Boot Camp 2018 also falls in line with the President’s visions of his flagship programs intended to create jobs and also make agriculture more attractive for the country’s youth.
There is the need for a broad-based training in agriculture to equip agricultural students with scientific, vocational and technological competencies to enable them fit into various sectors of agriculture. The agricultural training offered at the SHS level and particularly in the study of General Agriculture, lays the foundation for further work in agriculture at the tertiary level.
Source: Joyce Bedeley/ritefmonline.org/jbedeley9357@gmail.com
