Category: Education

Professor Peter Quartey, Director, Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has asked the government to create more job opportunities for teachers to reduce the attrition rate. He said most teachers who sought greener pastures did so because of unemployment, low wages, and poor working conditions, calling on authorities to address the issues and ensure improvement in learning outcomes. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Professor said that though the country could not stop migration, there was a need to manage the situation. 'If the country has excess teachers, then it can export, but in a coordinated manner to maximise the benefits for the country,' he said. Prof Quartey said the government could institute measures and set a quota for teachers to migrate and pay remittances to the country as part of an agreement to defray the training cost. He said a country like the Philippines had done that not only in the teaching space but the health sector and had recei ved foreign inflows. Dr Christian Addai-Poku, the Registrar, National Teaching Council, raised concerns about the teacher attrition rate in 2023 and called for a concerted action to address the situation. He said over 16,000 Ghanaian teachers had applied for positions with the Department of Education in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023. The Registrar said by June 13, 2023, approximately 10,000 of those applicants holding Ghana Teacher Licences were granted certification to work in the UK without requiring further assessment by the UK government. Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr David Esinu Yao Normanyo, the Assembly member-elect for Dzita Electoral Area in the Anloga District, has called for everyone's support to 'build a new Dzita, where education flourishes.' He described the state of the only school in the community, Dzita Basic School as a mess, where no serious teaching and learning should take place to equip the current and future generation of learners with basic education. Dr Normanyo, who made the call in his New Year message to his electorates, thanked everyone for their votes and the Unit Committee members-elect. He urged all to be concerned about the future of the fishing community, adding that educating the younger generation was key to growth and development. 'Mr Christian Ganah, Mr John Wutsika, Mr John Kwashie Aklorbortu, Mr Seth Amusah and Ms Agnes Enyonam Texo and I want to extend our sincere thanks to all of you who supported us throughout the campaign. Your varying supports have been a driving force behind our shared vision for a brighter future for Dzita .' 'Whether you are citizens at home or abroad, we came together with a strong spirit and a clear purpose.' 'I believed that with the support of our chiefs, we can tap into your strengths, creativity, resources, and wisdom to build a new Dzita where education flourishes, opportunities abound, and our culture shines brightly,' he added. Dr Normanyo, who is also the Volta Regional Executive Secretary National Peace Council, encouraged everyone to help bring the needed changes to Dzita. 'In the days and weeks ahead, I will be sharing more information about how we can all get involved and contribute to our community's development.' Dr Normanyo also urged all to join him in this effort as they worked together towards 'a united Dzita that shines as a beacon of hope.' Source: Ghana News Agency

School children of the University of Health and Allied Sciences Basic School (UBS) in Ho have donated some items to pupils affected by the recent flood devastation in the lower Volta area. The donation was made possible through contributions by parents of the pupils who responded to a call by the school's management to support the children in the flooded communities. The items included clothing, food, books, and other educational materials. Mr Seth Korgah, the Head of the Basic School, presented the items at Mepe in the North Tongu District, supported by Mr Collins Nunyoame, the Chairman of Parent-School Conference. He told the GNA that the giving culture inculcated into the children would transcend their generation. 'Our mission is to train future leaders who have high sense of excellence, brotherhood, integrity, innovation, service and leadership, which are the core values of the school,' he said. 'The world is coming to a level where people are inward looking but children should show to the world th at just as God gave Christ to the world, they must also share with the underprivileged'. 'We know that most of the children lost their dresses, books and other belongings, and we have collected a number of items to help them.' Led by staff of the School, the children and some parents made a trip to the hardest-hit areas of Mepe and Battor, encouraging children and adolescents there to be resilient. Mr Nunyoame, the Chairman of the Parent-School Conference, said the parents shared the loss of livelihoods due to the floods, hence the gesture. Mr Mensah Dekpe of the Presbyterian school and Mr Kumah Agboe of the Holy Christ School, received the items. They commended the UHAS Basic School for showing leadership and concern and assured that the items would be put to good use. The Basic school earlier held a carols ceremony and fashion show at the courtyard of its plush campus in Ho to mark the Christmas celebration. It was chaired by Senior Architect Ruth Xoladem Ayittey, the Director of Works and Physical D evelopment of the University, and attended by Prof Margaret Gyapong, Director of the Institute of Health Research. The first batch of the Basic Education Certificate Examination candidates of the school were commended for their exceptional performance. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Africa Centre for Education and Community Development (ACECD), a non-profit organisation, has broken the ground for the construction of a modern pre-school block for the Apesokubi DA/RC Primary School in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region. The project is dedicated to advancing education and social development in the community, which forms part similar projects the organisation started in sub-Saharan Africa since 2012. Reverend Father Dr Richard Akrofi Baafi, the Executive Director, ACECD, said the school made a request for a kindergarten but after a total assessment, the organisation decided to provide a pre-school. The school block, expected to be completed in three months, includes kindergarten one and two with ancillary facilities as well as a canteen and kitchen to help the school run the School Feeding Programme. Rev Dr Baafi said the Organisation would also undertake a complete renovation of the primary school block and replace an existing KVIP with an eight-seater water closet for the prim ary school. Drainage systems would also be provided to help to manage the flooding situation at the school, he said, and called on the community to support the project to meet the deadline. Okogyeaman Asiedu Koram II, the Paramount Chief of Apesokubi, said the project would improve education delivery in the area and the district as a whole and commended the organisation for the support. Parents would also be free to go about their activities since their children would be in school and be taken care of while acquiring knowledge, he said. Mr Anthony Asamani, the Assemblyman, Apesokubi Electoral Area, said he would ensure that the project met its deadline and appealed to the District Education Directorate to work on the staff inadequacy affecting schools in the community. Mr Benjamin Owusu-Sarpong, Public Relations Officer, Biakoye District Assembly, commended the efforts of the Organisation to enhance education outcomes. Mr Samuel Kofi Danso, the Headteacher, Apesokubi DA/RC Primary School, said the proje ct would help increase the school's population and that other projects would be tackled to improve the hygienic conditions of the staff and students. The pre-school will have a playground, kitchen, canteen, potable water supply, and a place of convenience. It is under the sponsorship of J.E. Kearney Memorial RC School alongside other donors. Source: Ghana News Agency

The year 2023 started with the management of the University of Ghana announcing an increment of fees for the 2022/2023 academic year.

The University said the new fees were based on rates approved by Parliament and communicated through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

Following public outcry over the increment, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, directed the University of Ghana to comply with the Government's proposed 15 per cent increase in public universities' academic fees.

The Minister also directed other public universities, which initially charged above the 15 per cent fee increment threshold, to make refunds to affected students.

The Ghana Education Service (GES), later, released the 2023 academic calendar for all schools, Kindergarten, Primary, Junior High and Senior High and Senior Technical.

Dr Jaime Saavedra, World Bank Global Director for Education, on Thursday, February 09, 2023, called on Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.

The visit was the first of the Director's two-day visit to the country to gain firsthand information on Ghana's educational sector as well as inspect the Bank's funded initiatives in the sector.

In May, Caterers of the National School Feeding Programme commenced a nationwide strike to demand payment of their arrears.

Madam Juliana Cudjoe, President of the Greater Accra School Feeding Caterers Association, said they would only return when their arrears for the previous academic year were paid.

Later in the month, the Reverend Dr Sylvester Agalga, Headmaster of Bawku Senior High School, said some staff of the school were seeking transfers due to the conflict in the Bawku enclave.

He said teachers who were posted to the School were also declining the postings.

The second half of the year commenced with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with the European Union Delegation to Ghana (EU Ghana) launching 16 million Euros support to Ghana's Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) sector.

The programme, dubbed: 'Support to the Transformation of the TVET System in Ghana (STTSG),' was to expand structures and develop skills to improve TVET education rollout in the country.

After the strike of Caterers in May, Madam Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, said the Caterers would receive payments of their arrears for the third term of the 2022 academic year by June 12.

She said her Ministry and the Ministry of Finance as of April 2023 had paid all areas for the first and second terms for the 2022 academic year.

In July, members of the National Food Suppliers Association commenced a weeklong picketing of the National Food Buffer Stock Company to demand debts owed to them by the government.

The Group said it would not end the picketing until the government paid the GHS270 million owed to members.

Later in the month, an Adisadel College student who was captured in a viral video choking his colleague was arrested by the Police in Cape Coast.

The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana began a nationwide strike on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, over the government's refusal to implement negotiated allowances and payment of basic salary based on their salary grade.

The Association, however, called off the strike on Tuesday, September 05, 2023, following a directive from the National Labour Commission.

The 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) was held from Monday, August 07, 2023 to Friday, August 11, 2023.

A total of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females, from 18,993 participating schools registered for the examination.

The West African Examinations Council on Thursday, November 09, 2023, released provisional results for both school and private candidates who sat for the 2023 BECE.

The GES in the last quarter of the year released the 2023 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) into Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools (TVET).

Out of the total number of 598,839 results received from the West African Examination Council, 585,797 candidates qualified to be placed.

In December, the Ministry of Education announced that First-Year Senior High School students were to report to school on Monday, December 4, 2023.

The schedule affected both students on single and double-track systems as stated in the 2023/2024 academic calendar. Source: Ghana News Agency