Accra: The Reverend Father Dogli Memorial Technical Institute in the Oti Region has been adjudged the best performing school at the southern sector STEM Plastic Waste Competition for Catholic Senior High Schools in Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the St. Gregory Senior High School emerged second at a competitive contest in Accra, where the students pitched innovative products made from plastic waste and ideas to address the challenges posed by plastic waste. The other competing schools were St. Catherine Catholic Girls Senior High School, St. Michael Senior High School, and St. Margaret Mary Senior High Technical School.
Organised by the Catholic Education Unit, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), and other partners, the competition created a platform for the students to develop innovative projects to tackle the plastic waste menace. Among the products presented were a plastic greenhouse, bags, baskets, raincoat, flower vase, bricks, umbrella, and materials for interior and exterior decoration.
Dr. Joseph Agyapong Darmoe, Programmes Director at KAS, described the innovations as surprising and praised their desire to find solutions to the plastic waste challenge. He highlighted the alarming rate at which plastic waste was polluting the ocean and challenged the youth to explore innovative ways and create products to help address the issue sustainably. "We produce an average of 840,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste annually. This is more than the cocoa we produce and that is scary," he said.
Mr. Francis Batadjan, the General Manager of Catholic Schools, Ghana, emphasized that the contest was not just a competition but a wake-up call to improve the management of plastic waste in the country. He encouraged the students to explore more innovative ideas and contribute to managing the menace in their communities.
Madam Berthy Buah, Regional STEM Coordinator at the Ghana Education Service, stated that the purpose of STEM education was to empower students to be observant and sensitive to the environment and find solutions to problems. She noted that the introduction of STEM in environmental management would engender a sense of ownership among students in protecting the environment.
Plastic waste management remains a major challenge in Ghana. Plastics are indiscriminately disposed into drains and water bodies, leading to perennial floods across the country. The Ghana Plastic Waste Management Policy Document reveals that approximately 120 companies manufacture over 52,000 tonnes of various plastics and related products annually. Furthermore, a recent report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) indicates that 88 per cent of marine species are affected by severe contamination of plastic in the ocean. The burning of plastics, a widespread activity in Ghana, also releases toxic substances into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.
