A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Earth Science at the University of Ghana, Dr. Yvonne Loh has highlighted a significant lack of knowledge about Geoscience at the pre-tertiary level in Ghana. She attributes this gap to the low interest in the field among students, which affects future career prospects in Geoscience-related disciplines.
She made this call during a workshop held in Accra from February 27 to March 1, 2025, organized by the International Union of Geological Sciences – Commission on Geoscience Education (IUGS-COGE) in collaboration with the department and other international partners.
The event marked the exclusive launch of the Geoscience Field Officer Programme (GEFO) in Ghana.
The workshop brought together students, lecturers, policymakers, and representatives from both local and international institutions. Discussions focused on increasing awareness of Geoscience and integrating it more effectively into the educational system to nurture future professionals in the field.
Dr. Loh emphasized that Geoscience is only briefly covered in Integrated Science and Geography curricula at the pre-tertiary level, limiting students’ exposure to its full scope.
“Currently, Geoscience accounts for just 10% of educational material at the pre-tertiary level. The fragmented nature of its coverage within Integrated Science and Geography is insufficient to generate student interest in the field.”
She further noted that even at Colleges of Education, where teachers are trained, there is a lack of specialized teaching and learning materials focused on Geoscience. This, she argued, leaves many teachers ill-equipped to introduce students to the subject effectively.
Dr. Loh urged education regulatory bodies, such as the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) and the Ghana Education Service (GES), to engage Geoscience experts in reviewing the curriculum.
She stressed the need to develop standardized subject materials to train teachers and equip students with essential knowledge in the field.
“In today’s world, the relevance of Geoscience is ever evolving and more relevant in the space of big ticket economic activities like mining, building construction, engineering, oil and gas exploration and as such we must take, concrete and deliberate steps to engage Geoscience experts to develop ready to digest educational materials to empower students at all levels to have solid grasp of the field to draw more practitioners who will become the next generation of both industry and academia ready professionals (Geoscientists).”
The workshop also explored contributions from Geoscience professionals across Africa, highlighting efforts to expand the discipline in various countries. Participants exchanged ideas on best practices for increasing awareness and engagement in the field.
The launch of the Geoscience Field Officer Programme (GEFO) is expected to be a significant step toward addressing the knowledge gap and promoting Geoscience education in Ghana.
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