Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, GIFEC Boss Kofi Asante and Nananom at Policekrom
THE MINISTER of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has announced a new competition to encourage schoolchildren in the country to get involved with computing and coding in line with government’s quest to develop budding “techpreneurs”, coders and makers.
Dubbed “Coding Competition for Kids”, the tech contest is to inspire a new generation to get creative with coding – an aspect of computer programming – and digital technology, she explained.
Addressing Nananom at Obogu and Policekrom in the Asante Akim South District of the Ashanti Region during a courtesy call on the paramount chief of the area, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said computer science had become a basic skill which cannot be ignored in the new digital world.
She stated that her ministry had opened discussions with the education ministry for schoolchildren to get the real-world experience of coding to develop applications, solve problems, and polish up their coding skills through a competition.
“We all know how motivating a prize can be! It is in our interest to let our kids develop keen interest in coding, and this competition will make coding more fun,” she stated.
According to her, details on this initiative will be announced soon. Generally, competitions are a great way for students to apply what they know in a fun context and to create something which is important to them.
Coding is not part of the required ICT curriculum in the country’s public schools, and the communications minister is determined to lobby his colleague at the Ministry of Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, to make it part.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Obogu