Tullow Oil and JATI support entrepreneurial development in schools
Junior Achievers Trust International (JATI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in partnership with the Management of Tullow Oil Ghana on Friday presented 20,000 textbooks on entrepreneurial skills to Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country.
The textbook titled: “Applied Economics for Entrepreneurs” would provide students with basic understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship.
Some of the recipient schools include Ebenezer SHS, Ola Girls SHS, Archbishop Potter Girls SHS, Anlo Technical Institute, Akim Swedru SHS, Osu PRESEC SHS, and Oda SHS.
Mr Henry Fram Akplu, Author of the textbook and Lecturer at Cape Coast University, said it demonstrated how economics permeated all aspects of life, employed an integral approach to the subject and emphasised the application of economic concepts to real-life situations.
He said Ghana’s educational system was not embedded in the economic context but rather national development.
“Outside the school all our national development challenges are embedded in economic context. We proclaim that education is the key to development, yet our curricular do not reflect the status of economics as an underpinning reality,” he said.
Mr Akplu said the textbook was not about bombarding students with high-sounding terminologies and abstract graphs and formulas.
He stated that the textbook would facilitate the development of understanding, attitudes, and mindset to promote economic development and democratic governance among students.
Mr Akplu pleaded with students and teachers to always consider how to apply any economic concept or principle they learnt to real-life situations and problems around them.
“Teachers and students can concentrate on the application of concepts rather than on the memorisation of facts for passing an examination,” he said.
Mr Paul Yeboah, Chief Executive Officer of JATI said current events and societal problems had made the need to study applied economics imperative, therefore the management of JATI had proved equal to the task by publishing the textbook for SHS.
He said JATI would continue to assist young people, prepare them for personal growth and success in future.
“JATI’s Life Education Assurance prevents drop-outs in our schools: either a guardian passing away or be incapacitated. Fees of ours students are paid,” he explained.
Mr Yeboah expressed hope that the textbook would be put to good use.
Mr Victor Kofi Martey, Acting Deputy Director General of Ghana Education Service, who received the textbooks urged teachers to make good use of them and commended the managements of JATI and Tullow Oil for their contributions towards education in the country.
Mr Kofi Esson, Representative of Tullow Oil who sponsored the publication, expressed the hope that the textbook would be used to impact entrepreneurial skills to the students to facilitate the functioning of private enterprise and democratic system.
JATI was established in 2005 to provide young people with practical educational programmes and experiences in the private enterprise system, through partnership with business and education communities to make them successful entrepreneurs.
Source: GNA