Category: Education

Mr John Kwakuvi Hounlessodji, the Chief Executive Officer of Infiniti Stars Hotel and Den Enterprise in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region, has fulfilled a pledge to Metrikasa DA basic school. He presented a cash donation of Ghc 10,000 in fulfillment of a pledge he made during the 60th-anniversary celebration of the school where he chaired the event. Mr Hounlessodji, in a message read on his behalf by Inspector Emmanuel Danyo at the presentation event, tasked the management of the school to remain committed, dedicated and united with truthfulness in all their dealings. He also pledged an additional 100 bags of cement for the construction of a dining hall. Mr Brunoo Gadzedzo, Headteacher of the school, located within Akatsi North, expressed gratitude to the donor for coming to the aid of the school and the community. He further assured Mr Hounlessodji and his team of using the donations for the exact purpose. Present at the short presentation meeting were Mr David Vorsah, the assembly membe r for the area, members of the Festival Planning Committee, men and women, as well as youth from the town. Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr. Kofi Ashiboe Mensah, Head of Quality Assurance at Ho Technical University, stated that assessment has become a weapon for all teachers in the 21st century; hence, they must take assessment as seriously as teaching. He advised teachers to assess the students by identifying if they were performing well or not, and the strategy they need to use should be assessment for learning and of learning. Dr Mensah stated during an assessment strategies and test item construction workshop organized for teachers by the Diamond Key Consult, a National Teaching Council-accredited service provider, in collaboration with the Kpone-Katamanso Education Directorate. He said the strategic forms were all formative; hence, teachers should assess students by allowing them to assess themselves, termed 'self-assessment', by writing answers to questions on the board for them to answer personally with a marking scheme that helped them learn on their own. He added that the 'peer assessment' was where students exchanged scripts amo ng themselves with three marking schemes provided to aid in opening the child's oralism. 'This strategy, when inculcated in the students by teachers, would help them excel', he stated. He said group presentations by mixing up the average and low-average students would reduce the task on teachers, even though it is time-consuming; therefore, teachers should not look at time but instead, focus on the students based on what they know. He urged teachers to supervise the students when they were marking their own scripts to ensure if they are on the right path, and then after the teachers should remark the scripts. Dr. Mensah pleaded with teachers to refrain from using mobile phones in the classroom when lessons are ongoing, even though taking videos of them answering questions in class serves as evidence. This is a good initiative by him. He advised teachers to set their questions immediately after every class lesson, which should consist of an objective test and an essay-type test for them to learn more with understanding, and to make the low-average students their favourites for them to catch up with learning easily. According to Ms. Ivy Ablordepey, coordinator of Diamond Key Consult, in an interview with Ghana News Agency, Tema Regional Office stated that the organisation runs a continuous professional development programme for teachers. She said the decision to host the workshop for teachers in districts by identifying the areas where the National Teaching Council wants them to develop programmes based on their needs. She noted that the programme was based on assessment and test item construction for teachers to educate them well on how to set examination questions. She said as part of the criteria for the renewal of the teacher licence, they must attend such programmes to build CPD points, of which they had a maximum number of points they needed to build every three years; therefore, every district should help the teachers plan such programmes for some points. She added that this programme held for teach ers would give them two CPD points, which was the maximum number of points the National Teaching Council had given all service providers when they engage teachers. 'All participating teachers would be awarded a certificate after the workshop,' she said. Madam Janet Atamudzi, a grade 3 teacher at Gos Favour School Complex, said she had learnt that as a facilitator, it was important to know the child's capacity or ability by imparting their knowledge. Mr. Eric Aggrey, a teacher at Pride Future Crown Academy, emphasised that the training would help him encourage the students to learn well and also not discourage them from learning. Source: Ghana News Agency

First-year Senior High School (SHS) admission processes commenced smoothly on Monday across the Cape Coast Metropolis. Various streets and roads leading to the many schools were chocked with vehicles carrying chop boxes, mattresses, parents, and guardians from all walks of life. As traders hover at entrances of schools, drivers cashed in, picking students, many of whom were seen in groups looking for taxis. There were long queues in the schools as students went through the admission processes which commenced online. The process included verification of data, allocation of accommodation and inspection of items in the prospectus. The Ghana News Agency, observed during visits to a number of SHSs that many students in the company of their parents had reported to school. At Mfantsipim School, the authorities said admission processes were incident free with adequate measures to receive the 1,145 students. They confirmed most of the students had reported and going through registration processes under the sup ervision of dedicated parents. At Adisadel College, some parents and first-year students, were left frustrated after they were redirected to the online registration portal. Some parents claimed they did not know students were required to access their prospectus, admission letter, medical forms, programmes among other requirements online before proceeding to their respective schools to complete the admission processes. Madam Mercy Otoo, a guardian with his son, expressed satisfaction with admission processes and urged parents of students who were yet to receive their placements to be patient as the government would absorb all students. She said parents had a significant role to play in the academic life of their children and should not abandon their responsibilities. For the students, she advised them to take their studies seriously and make themselves, their family and nation proud of the investments made in them. Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister for Education, has explained that the decision on re-opening date for first year students of SHS was to return the system to the pre-covid academic calendar. He added that about 81 per cent of them had been placed into Senior High Schools hence pegging the re-opening on Monday, December 4, 2023. Briefing Parliament on the matter, Dr Osei Adutwum also summarised the harmonised prospectus as the grounds for the commencement of the 2023/2024 academic year. 'Mr Speaker, given that over 81 per cent of students were automatically placed based on their choices, it cannot be said that a lot of placements are yet to be remedied because some candidates have been placed under the region they reside. 'In addition, for the first time the Ministry of Education with its relevant agencies and stakeholders, developed a National Harmonized Prospectus for all SHS and TVET students. This was to give parents ample time to buy the prospectus items and get their wards ready for school on Decem ber 4, 2023,' Dr Osei Adutwum said on the floor of Parliament on Monday. First-year Senior High School (SHS) students across the country were expected to report to their respective schools on Monday, December 4, 2023, despite concerns about the re-consideration of the reopening date. The Parliament of Ghana, parents, guardians, and other relevant stakeholders called for an extension of the reporting date, citing distinct reasons, but the Ghana Education Service (GES) maintained the December 4 date. Parliament further urged the Minister of Education to consider rescheduling the reopening date to the first week of January instead of Monday, December 4. A statement issued by the Parliamentary Service said: 'Due to the short notice with its attendant inconvenience to students, parents, teaching, and non-teaching staff, the House proposes for the consideration of the Hon. Minister of Education the first week of January 2024 as a more convenient and appropriate time for parents, students, and teachers to adequa tely prepare for academic work.' However, the request was turned down by GES. In the Service response through its statement signed by Madam Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the Public Relations Officer of GES, it reminded parents, students, and the public that the reporting date for first-year students of SHS was December 4 as indicated on the Placement form. It said: 'It is the expectation of Management that schools begin registration and orientation of students from Monday, December 4th. 'Per the academic calendar, there would be a Christmas break on the 21st of December and a resume on the 3rd of January 2024, to continue academic work till March 5th, 2024,' the statement said. Commenting on the issue on the floor of the House, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, a National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South said the Ministry's action was weakening the Parliament of Ghana's oversight responsibility adding 'There must be respect. So, when the Speaker directs on our behalf, it is not for any PRO in any ministry but for the minister to show respect to the House, particularly since he is also a member of this house,' he said. About 585,797 out of 598,839 candidates were placed in various Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools (TVET) nationwide through the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS). Dr Osei Adutwum also the New Patriotic Party MP for Bosomtwe refuted the insistence that teaching and non-teaching staff did not have ample time to rest ahead of the re-opening of schools. 'Mr Speaker, since the introduction of the double track calendar in 2017, more teaching and non-teaching staff have been employed at schools. In fact, most teachers are only at the post when a particular track is in session. So, it cannot be true that all teachers have never had any rest since the double track was introduced,' he said. Source: Ghana News Agency

Apart from their educational prowess, the Northern College of Science and Technology has been adjudged the Yendi Municipal Best Education Institution. They are engaged in fish farming and produce tilapia, catfish, and rearing of livestock like goats, sheep, cattle, birds like guinea fowls, turkey, vegetables like bera, pepper, okro, tomatoes, among others. Mr. Nathaniel Adams Jnr, Founder of the school who received the certificate on behalf of the school said they used crops in agriculture to teach and feed the students and sell the excess and the funds used for some of the needs of the school. He said the school started agricultural programmes since its inception 10 years ago for both boys and girls and most of the old students were doing well in agriculture with good grades in BECE examination. He said the school engagement in agriculture helped the school by reducing their expenditure on food. Alhaji Hammed Abubakar Yussuf the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive who presented the certificate to the schoo l commended them for farming to feed themselves and urged other institutions to emulate and engage in agriculture. He urged the students of the school to continue with their good work in academic and agriculture in the municipality. Source: Ghana News Agency