Kwesimintsim MP lauds government’s contribution to education sector

The Chairman of the New Patritic Party (NPP) manifesto committee on education and Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim constituency Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, has been highlighting the progress made by the current NPP government in supporting the educational sector.

He is pointing out that the NPP government has provided over 700,000 furniture across basic and senior high schools environment.

Dr. Armah also noted that the previous NDC government failed to procure textbooks from 2012 to 2016, and they were depending on the existing textbooks. He was speaking at the conference of directors of education at their annual general meeting in Sekondi Takoradi.

“During the same period, no new textbooks were procured, and I want to emphasize that the textbooks available were existing ones that were shared among students, leading to a decreasing textbook-to-student ratio. In fact, I invite you to review the Education Sector Performance Report (ESPR) 2017, which provides data on this issue. Notably, since taking over in 2016, we, the NPP, have provided 9.5 million textbooks to our educational system as of today.” Dr Prince Armah stated.

The 31st Annual Conference and workshop of the Conference of Directors of Education is a significant event that brings together directors of education to review progress, share knowledge, best practices, and address challenges.

It is a platform for collaboration and growth, where education leaders can learn from each other and work together to improve the quality of education.

At the conference, the National Secretary for the Conference of Directors of Education, Ibrahim Mumuni, expressed concerns about the ongoing exodus of professional teachers. This is a pressing issue that affects not only the quality of education but also the future of our education system.

“The ongoing exodus of experienced and energetic teachers is depleting the education workforce, leaving inexperienced recruits and older educators behind in the eco-system”.

“Many district offices and schools face staffing shortages, lacking essential personnel such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), French, Arabic, Creative Arts and Career Technology teachers, drivers, cleaners, and security staff,” Mr Mumuni said.

Additionally, Ibrahim Mumuni noted that the activities of illegal mining in some communities pose a significant challenge, as they not only disrupt the learning process but also create an unsafe environment for students.

“Food produced in mining areas is distributed nationwide, posing a significant risk to learners and educational workers due to the potential presence of harmful chemicals used in the mining process. This could have dire consequences, including impaired cognitive function in students, which would ultimately impact the country’s future human capital”.

“Furthermore, we have observed that learners are often lured away from school to engage in mining activities, which not only hinders their education but also undermines efforts to promote Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in schools, exacerbating the negative effects of illegal mining in these communities.” He noted.

Bernice Ofori, the Tema Metro Director of Education and President of the Conference of Directors of Education, urged education directors to persevere in their roles despite the challenges they face.

“I am extremely excited to see this program successfully carried out with all your cooperation. I believe that the theme of the program and the topics we will cover over the next five days will empower us and continue to refresh our minds.”

“As we leave here, let us remind ourselves that no matter the circumstances, as directors of education, we are committed to delivering our best with the limited resources at our disposal. We will continue to strive for excellence and make a positive impact on the generations in our care.” She stated.

The Deputy Director of Ghana Education Service in charge of Management services Stephen Kwaku Owusu said “GES, in accordance with our mandate and the Act, recognizes the need for reforms to align our previous work with the requirements of the Act. To this end, we have launched a workforce initiative, which includes developing a new scheme of service and establishing specific skill requirements for directors and staff of education services.”

“We are also focusing on critical behaviors and ways of working to ensure that we can effectively implement the Act. Additionally, there are certain behaviors that must be exhibited by staff before we can implement the Act, which the government has assigned to us. Before implementation, we must ensure that these behaviors are in place”. Mr Owusu said.

 

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