Coalition of Tertiary Students protest payment of utility bills

The Coalition of Tertiary Students, Ghana, say they will resist any attempt by government to make tertiary students resident on campus bear the cost of utilities.

According to them, they will not sit and watch government pass on its social compact expectations on its students.

Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa early this month announced at a meeting of Campus Connect in Kumasi that, as part of measures to reduce the pressure on government coffers, tertiary students resident on campus would be charged for using utility services.

However, at a press conference organised Tuesday, the president of the Coalition of Tertiary Students, Ghana, Mr Duke Aaron Sasu said, “We students and student leaders oppose vehemently this ill thought through Government policy. We would resist any attempt by government to force the hands of students to bear the arrears of utility bills owed by the universities as a consequence of the failure of government of Ghana to exercise its responsibilities.”

They have therefore warned of mass nationwide student rallies to press home their demand.

The coalition has also asked all tertiary students across the country to embark on a ‘red alert crusade’ to register their displeasure, adding, “Every student of Ghana must identify with something red to register our displeasure until the Government calls off this sickening policy.”

The coalition is made up of the Wa and Nyankpala campuses of the University of Development Studies (UDS), the University of Mines and Technology, (UMaT), Kumasi and Takoradi Polytechnics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Kumasi Campus.


Source: Written by Graphic.com.gh 

IT specialist arrested over nurses training school admission scam

An Information Technology (IT) expert who is suspected to be behind a syndicate that hacks into the online nurses training school admission system of the Ministry of Health has been arrested by the police.

The suspect, Isaac Kwesi Otibu, 27, an official of the IT Department of the Accra Regional Hospital School of Anaesthesia at Ridge, is said to have generated his own online forms and receipts in the name of the ministry which he sold and issued to potential students.

An accomplice, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, has also been arrested.

The accomplice is said to have mounted an illegal sales point for the sale of the forms, although they were to be bought at the health training schools.

The health training schools include nurses training schools, health assistant training schools, school of hygiene, psychiatric nurses training schools, school of dental technology, public health, community nursing, peri-operative and school of anaesthesia.

The syndicate, which has been detected nationwide in all health training schools, is said to have cost the Ministry of Health about GH¢3 million, representing 50 per cent of its internally generated funds from the sale of the nurses training school admission forms.

Prospective students pay GH¢80 for online forms, after which they are issued with receipts with special codes which are used to fill the admission forms online.

An additional GH¢20 is paid for an envelope and postage of the admission letter.


Sales person detects fake code

The Accra Regional Police Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Paul Natongma, told the Daily Graphic that the suspects were being processed for court on a provisional charge of forging documents.

Otibu, he said, was arrested after a sales person of the School of Anaesthesia was approached by a potential student with a receipt purported to have been issued by the school.

The sales person was said to have found out that the code on the receipt was fake, even though it had similar features like the authentic receipt.


More victims

Confirming the case, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Mr Tony Goodman, said the suspects had been syphoning revenue due the ministry and defrauding applicants for some time now.

“We suspect many people have fallen victim. In such cases, when people buy the forms from these fraudsters, they are not selected in the admission process because it is detected that the codes are fake,” he said.

According to him, the fake forms were sold in vans, illegal sales points and Internet cafes across the country.

Mr Goodman said until 2013, the ministry used the manual process by which applicants had to buy brochures at post offices which they filled and submitted through courier services, after indicating the schools of their choice.

“However, two years ago, we discovered that people were printing the manual brochures and selling them to unsuspecting applicants,” he said, adding that “the ministry then decided to invest in a system that would put a stop to the situation, leading to the acquisition of a server for the generation of software for the issuing of the receipt and online services”.


Source: Written by Emelia Ennin Abbey, Graphic.com.gh

We’ll resist attempts to push utility bills on students -Takoradi Polytechnic SRC

The Student Representative Council of the Takoradi Polytechnic in the Western Region has said that it will resist any attempt by government to transpose utility payment to students.

According to the student body, it is unfair for government to renege its core functions to students when they are not financially strong to bear the cost.

They say they are surprised by government’s move when it had assured them last semester of not paying utility bills.

President of the Student Representative Council Richard Ziemah in an interview with Citi News said the financial abilities of students in campus have been weakened over the years due to the high cost of school fees and other payments.

“Besides, the Minister in charge of Tertiary Education Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a meeting with student’s representatives last year at National Council for Tertiary Education debunked such move and so what has changed?” Richard Ziemah queried.

He says if they are to one day wake up to the proposal been implemented by government, “all student bodies in the country will rise up and vent our grievances to the government”.

The pronouncement by government to wean itself from paying utility bills for all tertiary institutions across the country has received and continues to receive condemnation and criticisms from stakeholders.

– By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Takoradi Polytechnic owes GH¢800,000 in utility bills

The Takoradi Polytechnic in the Western Region owes the Ghana Water Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) about GH¢ 80,000.

Information available to Citi News indicates that a sum of GH¢143, 489, is to be paid to the water company, some GH¢721, 625 to the Electricity Company of Ghana.

This debt according to the president of the Students Representative Council of the Takoradi Polytechnic Richard Ziemah is affecting the supply of water and power on campus.

“It has been on and off situation here in campus. At a time when you need water especially in the morning, they will take it off. This problem is as a result of government’s inability to pay the debts owed the utility companies. It is government’s sole responsibility to pay for it, not students.”

Government’s has proposed to transfer 7 percent of utility bills in tertiary institutions across the country to students.

This proposal has been met with stiff opposition from student bodies and other stakeholders.

– By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Mamehyeso Basic School faces imminent closure

Mamehyeso (E/R), April 28, GNA - The Mamehyeso Primary School in the Suhum Municipality will soon be close down if parents continue to withdraw their children from the school.

So far, five of the six teachers in the school have been withdrawn by the Ghana Education Service (GES) as a result of low student population.

A GES official who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on condition of anonymity said, currently only 15 out of 210 pupils are attending the school.

Parents in the village have withdrawn their children to nearby schools in Tetteh Nkwanta, Adarkwah, Kofiga, Suhum Gariba Zongo Islamic Primary School and Suhum Roman Catholic Primary School.

Some of the children who were withdrawn from the school have dropped out of school and are now truck pushers, coconut sellers, basket weavers, ‘akpeteshie’ distillers, rat and grasscutter hunters, while some of the girls have become pregnant.

The official said the school was established 50 years ago by the Ministry of Education at the request of the community, and so the GES did not understand why the community had decided to neglect the school.

When the Odikro of the village, Nene Amuyaw Ashate was contacted, he confirmed the story and said several warnings by the traditional authorities and elders of the village to parents to stop withdrawing their children from the school had not achieved the desired result.

He said currently, some of the children had to walk for a distance of six kilometers to attend school outside the community.

The Odikro said there were plans for the elders of the town to meet with parents to discuss the issue and find a solution to the challenges facing the school.


Source: Ghana News Agency

University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Launches Corporate Strategic Plan

Winneba, April 27, GNA - The University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has launched its Third Strategic Plan for the years 2014 to 2018, with a call on staff to work hard towards its success.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, speaking at the launch, said two earlier Strategic Plans, namely the 2003-2008 and the 2009-2013, were the primary management tools that had brought the University that far.

He said the first strategic plan aimed to expand the University at a very fast pace, after attaining autonomy.

He said the University adopted ICT as a tool for teaching and learning, and embarked on vigorous measures to address the serious gender imbalance among students.

Prof Asabere-Ameyaw said the University had, therefore, seen remarkable transformation and improvement in infrastructure, curriculum development, staffing, student enrollments, and expansion in graduate studies, among other achievements.

The chairman of the University's Governing Council, Dr. Emmanuel K. Andoh, said the new strategic plan was an attestation to efforts towards achieving the very purpose for which the institution of higher learning was established.

He stated: “We are still mindful of our vision as a Teacher Training University, tasked with the sole responsibility to spearhead the new national vision of education, aimed at re-directing Ghana’s efforts along the path of rapid economic and social development.”

Prof Mahama Duwiejua, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education, who launched the Plan, hoped that the 2014-18 Corporate Strategic Plan would serve as the blue-print to further build on the remarkable achievements the University had already accomplished.

He called for the judicious application of human and financial resources, to achieve set strategic goals.


Source: Ghana News Agency

University of Ghana acquires software to detect plagiarism

The University of Ghana has deployed software under its current e-Learning platform that detects plagiarism in all forms, from class assignments to project works and other academic work.

The software which is part of the university’s e-Learning management system called Sakai is aimed at enhancing original thought among students and promoting excellent academic work.

The Dean of Distance Learning of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Yaw Oheneba Sekyi, who disclosed this to the media after the 2015 matriculation at the Kumasi Learning Centre, said all the distance learning campuses of the school had been connected through a fibre optic to the main campus at Legon in Accra.

He said the students had also been offered android-based tablets which were web-based and allowed students to access course materials electronically and submit assignments as well as interact among themselves on the same platform.
Vice Chancellor

In a speech read on his behalf, the Vice- Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, announced that the university recently through the government secured a $37.5 million ICT project for its distance education programme.

He said under the project, the Accra, Koforidua, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tamale, Tsito and Wa learning centres have been equipped with modern facilities with ultra-modern computer laboratories and smart classrooms.

The rest are video conference facilities, backup generating sets and outdoor Wi-Fi, while 3,000 Internet-enabled android tablets, preloaded with relevant teaching and learning materials have been distributed to students.

In all, 1,184 students were enrolled for the 2014/2015 academic year.

Prof. Aryeetey said students admitted for Distance Education this year would have all tutorials and examinations in their centres, without having to come down to Legon as had been the practice.


Source: By Donald Ato Dapatem, Graphic.com.gh

SOS Children’s Villages Ghana launches education project for public schools

SOS Children’s Villages Ghana has launched a four-year project called ‘Quality Education Now’, as part of its efforts to provide quality education to Ghanaian children. The project also forms part of its community intervention efforts to extend its quality education model to deprived communities.

In a keynote address at the launch of the project at Mataheko, near Tema, the acting Deputy Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mrs Elizabeth de-Souza, expressed delight in SOS Children’s Villages’ effort to complement the work of government in the area of education.

Support

She pledged her support and that of the GES to ensure that the desired support was achieved, and called on donors and individuals to visit any of the SOS Villages, so as to become a friend of these children. She personally pledged to become a friend of the children.

SOS Children’s Villages Ghana is well noted for providing quality education in Ghana over the past 40 years through its Hermann Gmeiner Schools in Tema, Asiakwa, Kumasi and Tamale.

The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, Mr Alexander Kekula, stressed the importance of the project, saying, “The overall objective of the project is sustainable quality education delivery through empowerment at school, community and district levels”.

He, therefore, challenged stakeholders of children’s education to put in their best so that head teachers, teachers, parent-teacher associations, circuit supervisors and community members would be able to function at the maximum potential, by the end of the next four years when the project comes to an end.

Benefit of education

He said that was necessary for the children to have the full benefit of their education.

In his address, the Chief of Mataheko, Nene Martey Kpongbagbla III, highly commended SOS Children’s Villages Ghana for its continuous effort to ensure care and support for orphans and vulnerable families in society.

He stressed that the change in the world’s system called for traditional, educational, religious and other authorities to team up with relevant partner-institutions such as SOS Children’s Villages Ghana to get a holistic education for all.

Nene Kpongbagbla assured SOS Children’s Villages Ghana of his support as well as that of his people for the project.

The Project Coordinator of ‘Quality Education Now’, Mr Bernard Amoako, asked for the kind support of all the various stakeholders to ensure a successful project.

He said the project was in tandem with the organisation’s vision of “every child belongs to a family and grows with love, respect and security”.

Speaking to the media after the programme, the National Communications and Fundraising Advisor, Nii Commey, stressed that SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, has over the past 40 years been noted for the provision of quality long-term family-based care, adding that the child welfare organisation had been serving deprived communities across the country with more than five thousand beneficiary families.


Source: Daily Graphic

Adansi Rural Bank awards scholarships to students

The Adansi Rural Bank Limited at Fomena in the Adansi North District in Ashanti Region has offered scholarships to seven needy but brilliant students to continue their education.

The acting General Manager, Mr Akwasi Osei Nkrumah, explained that the gesture was a renewed commitment by the bank to pay extra attention to its corporate social responsibility, particularly in the area of education.

He said the parents and guardians of the beneficiaries were shareholders of the bank and hailed from the Adansi area.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Ahmed Kwame Boakye, said the financial assistance would encourage beneficiaries of the scheme to study extra hard to be able to develop their full potential so that they could contribute their quota to national and community development.

A beneficiary of the package, who is currently studying for his Masters’ programme at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Asamoah, used the opportunity to advise the seven students who had been enrolled onto the scheme to study hard.

The Queenmother of the Adansi Traditional Area, Nana Amoanimaa Dede, expressed gratitude to the bank for the initiative.


Source: Daily Graphic

Regent University College of Science and Technology holds open day

The Regent University College of Science and Technology has held an open day to allow parents, guardians and prospective applicants to interact with the school administration on courses offered in the university.
The open day, put together by the final year students of the Event Management class, was also to inform the public about their services as well as offer instant admission to applicants who met the admission requirements.

The Senior Vice President of the university, Mr Albert K.Amonoo, said the school offered a combination of courses which had Information and communications Technology (ICT) integrated in all the courses to help keep students in tune with the changing trends.He said ICT was the backbone of most industries and so it was important to combine it with all other courses.

Mr Amonoo said the school also believed in maintaining smaller and conducive environment as these aided in teaching and learning.

“At Regent we believe that students should be able to interact properly with lecturers as well as study at times convenient for them. For this reason, our timetable is designed to fit the lifestyle of both working and non-working students.” He said.

Mrs Ruth Kukua Ntumy-Fletcher, the lecturer in charge of Event Management, said the exercise was also to allow final year students have a practical feel of how to organise and manage a corporate event.

“Although it is a school event, we allowed the students to coordinate, seek sponsorship and interact with the public so they have a better understanding if what they have been taught in class. We believe that through a project such this, the students would be able to organise events themselves and not necessarily rely on companies to employ them” she explained

She expressed gratitude to Blue skies, Fan Milk and Rising star Montessori for sponsoring the event.


Source: Daily Graphic

70 critical care nurses graduate from School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing in Accra

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service, Professor Ahmed Zakariah, has urged graduates of the school of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing to exhibit a high sense of professionalism in their practice and deliver exemplary cost effective patient care that would help improve quality delivery in the country.

He advised them to be mindful of their attitude towards patients as the negative behaviour by some of them was tarnishing the image of the profession.

Addressing the 8th congregation of the School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing in Accra, Prof Zakariah said the nursing profession was one that required total dedication and tolerance.

He, however, assured management of the school of the Ministry of Health’s support to enhance academic work.

In all, 70 students graduated from the Peri-Operative Nursing and Critical Care Nursing. Out of the number, 32 graduated from Peri-Operative with the remaining 38 graduating from Critical Nursing after 15- month training.

Leading the graduates, made up of 54 women and 16 men, to swear the Oath (Nurses pledge), they were charged to be strong advocates of the profession.

The oath binds each nurse to abide by all rules and regulations, and also be of good behaviour while pursuing their careers in order to promote a positive image for the nursing field.

The overall best graduating student award went to Ms Rosemond Agyeiwaa of the Critical Care Nursing.

Collaboration

Delivering the school’s report, the Principal of the School, Mr Kwaku Asante-Krobea, stated that the school would collaborate with other foreign partners to set up a consortium for health skill training in Ghana and extend the partnership to other institutions.

He said the school would expand its present territory by having its own infrastructure adding that the Ministry of Health was on the verge of providing a two-storey building for the school which was expected to be complete by July 2016.

Mr Asante-Krobea cited inadequate staff, lack of permanent campus, inadequate accommodation for students and staff as some of the challenges facing the school.

Currently, Mr Asante-Krobea said the school had achieved a substantial credibility and an image of a post-basic institution that trained specialised nurses in peri-operative and critical nurses.

Piece of advice

Mr Asante-Krobea advised the students to be guided by the values of the school, which were excellence, dedication and tolerance.

The Registrar of the Nurses and Midwifey Council, Mr Felix Kwame Nyanteh, charged the graduates to be good ambassadors where ever they found themselves.

The out-going General Prefect, Mr David Awini, commended the authorities for their immense support towards their spiritual, educational and social upbringing.

He urged his colleagues to go out and work very hard.


- By Selorm Yaw Dovia, Graphic.com.gh

Formation of KNUST NPP Frontliners does not offend rules — KNUST Authorities

Authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have stated that the formation of the KNUST New Patriotic Party (NPP) Frontliners does not offend any rules and regulations of the university.

While the National Democratic Congress (NDC) believes it would affect academic work and politically polarise the entire university, the NPP describes it as an age-old practice and cites the likes of former, Dr Josiah Aryeh, who was a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon when he worked as the NDC General Secretary.

But speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Deputy Registrar of University Relations of KNUST, Mr Vincent Ankamah-Lomotey, allayed the fears of the students who are NDC and all others on campus who are apprehensive that they might be victimised by these lecturers.


Background

Last Sunday, some lecturers and academicians from the KNUST, known as KNUST NPP Frontliners, called on Ghanaians to rise up and support the opposition NPP to win the 2016 Elections.

According to the group, which was made up of senior members and senior staff members of the university, the NPP remained the better alternative to the corrupt and visionless NDC whose governance had crippled the sensitive centres of the economy and brought untold hardships on the ordinary Ghanaian.

At the inauguration of the group, Dr Kwabena Boadu, the leader of the group, explained that the aim of the group was to serve as a think tank, ready to serve the party to win power in 2016 and beyond and with the vision, to be recognised as an elite group of supporters to influence policy direction as well as serve as an interface between the party and the electorate in explaining party policies and canvassing for votes.


No fears
Reacting to concerns by some members of the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC about possible victimisation, Mr Ankamah-Lomotey said, “I don’t agree with them because these are intellectuals who would not engage in such things.”


NDC

The Public Relations Officer of the KNUST NDC TEIN, Mr Prince Nyarko, told the Daily Graphic, “We are not perturbed the least about the formation of this group” but they were worried it would open the floodgates for others to form similar groups on campus.

A situation which, he explained, could lead to the proliferation of parallel entities on campus and if care was not taken, even the Vice Chancellor and other heads of departments would join the fray, leading to political polarisation of academic work on campus.

Mr Nyarko stated that his basis for fear of ill-treatment was born out of the fact that the group had been formed to specifically garner support and votes for the opposition NPP and wondered how these would play out in classes that were full of known NDC activists.

He explained that although both the TEIN of the NDC and the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) of the NPP on campus had patrons who were lecturers, such patrons did not openly expose their known political colours on campus.

- By Donald Ato Dapatem, Graphic.com.gh

WAEC Denies Leakage Of WASSCE Maths Paper

The West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied leakage of its Core Mathematics paper in the ongoing 2015 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE). According to WAEC, since they have not received any report from their officials at the various schools; no investigation can be carried out into the said allegations. There have been media reports of a syndicate leaking examination papers to individuals and schools at a fee. The syndicate is said to be made up of some teachers and a WAEC official. Social media has been buzzing with the news that the core mathematics papers which was written few days ago were among the leaked papers. This has raised concerns among some students and parents who fear WAEC will cancel the paper. But speaking to Citi News, the Principal Public Affairs Officer of WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe dismissed the reports and insisted, “the paper did not leak before it was written.” She assured the general public that there will be no cancellation of the core mathematics paper and neither will students have to retake that exam. “They should be rest assured that the paper is not going to be cancelled because we have not received any reports of leakages from our officers on the field so the examination is going to continue as scheduled and the Maths paper is not going to be cancelled,” she stressed. According to her, “if there were any reports like that, I am sure we would have received them by now so we are not even going to think about that.” There have consistently been reports of leakage of examination questions which has raised questions over the credibility of the WASSCE. Agnes Teye-Cudjoe however said mechanisms have been put in place to check such practices and offenders will be prosecuted and punished accordingly.

Source: Daily Graphic

Lecturers at the University of Education Winneba Go Wild

Lecturers at the University of Education Winneba have accused authorities of treating administrators kingly and are thus demanding to use a newly built office complex which has been marked as the registry. According to the lecturers, their accusation stems from the fact that most of them have, for the past 20 years not sat in an office, yet a newly completed office complex (Teku Block 2), built in their name to resolve their long standing office difficulty had been allocated to administrators. “Meanwhile, there is no shred of evidence that administrators lack offices. Even people employed recently have one”, the lecturers lamented. It was noted that one had to attain the position of a Dean or Head a Department to have an office- a situation they indicated destructed their work. Aside the handful that had offices, the lecturers revealed that some of them pass through lecture halls to access their office, and that, “Student desks block the entrances; thereby trapping the lecturer in that tiny office till the 3-hour lecture was over. Imagine if you need to use the wash room”. As a result, many have had to resort to using the shades of trees and the trunk of their cars as offices. In addition to the inadequacy of offices, there is a salary impasse between lecturers and administrators of which lecturers have expressed worry. The lecturers also took government to task on the books and research allowance administrators received and alleged it was only lecturers that do research for promotions. In an exclusive interview with The New Crusading GUIDE last Wednesday, at the North campus, the National President of University Teachers Association Ghana (UTAG), Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, confirmed the situation the lecturers found themselves in and reiterated that that office building “which is being shared in the dark to administrators” originally had the Lecturers Office Annex when the school bid for the facility at GETFund. He said he was clear in his mind because he was part of the development committee that saw to infrastructural development, adding, that it was even mentioned repeatedly during academic meetings.   The president could not understand why administrators already had offices and still the new building would be added on to theirs. He acknowledged the tremendous improvement in the area of infrastructure seen in the past 8 years reign of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Asabre, but accused him of neglecting the core persons (lecturers) of the university and all they got when they complained was the word ‘wait’. He observed that if wider consultations had been done with lecturers and students before the project begun, things would have been much better than the situation they have at hand now. Christopher Akwaa-Mensah, the Registrar, after admitting to the problems in office accommodation described as mischievous the actions by lecturers that about 90 percent of the office challenges had been resolved already. Displaying a building plan in front of this reporter, Mr. Akwaa-Mensah denied that Teku block 2 was originally for lecturers, adding that, lecturers were supposed to be in faculties and not separate office complex. “Indeed administrators needed offices more than lecturers because administrators could lose documents belonging to the school but the lecturers; they can sit in their cars, revise and proceed to teach”, the registrar noted. The Registrar pointed out that there were other infrastructure projects going on their campuses and that it was a matter of time and the issue of offices would be a thing of the past. Nevertheless, he assured them of the completion of an Education Faculty soon, to accommodate scores of lecturers in addition to the hall of residence at the Central campus converted into offices, to benefit lecturers of Creative Arts Department. Responding to the comments of the Registrar, Dr. Ofori Bekoe said they were not complaining about the location of the office because lecturers have been driving from home all the time to teach.

Source: New Crusading Guide

FINAL WARNING: Stop Charging Unapproved Fees - Ghana Education Service

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned that it cannot guarantee the continuous stay in office of heads of public schools who flout the guidelines for the collection of school fees and levies. Therefore, for the last time, the GES has asked all heads of public second cycle schools across the country to correct any irregularity or illegality they might have committed already, in their attempt to generate revenue especially the cost build up of students bills before they are found out to face the full rigours of the law. The Acting Deputy Director General of the GES, Mrs Elizabeth Dessousa sounded the warning at a day’s seminar in Kumasi on Guidelines for School Fees and Levies for some management members of second cycle schools. The participants, who were from the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions constituting the Kumasi Zone, were made up of Headmasters, Accountants, Internal Auditors in addition to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of Education. The Acting Deputy Director-General of the GES emphasized that access to basic and secondary education is a right for every Ghanaian child. For this reason, school managers should not do anything that could suggest that second cycle education in the country is being sold in favour of the highest bidder. Mrs Dessousa admitted the challenges school heads go through in collecting particularly school fees especially those with students in the final years. This should however not be the excuse for any school authority to charge unapproved fees, adding that hence forth, schools have been barred from coming out with Supplementary Bills, while the demand for school fees for ensuing terms should cease or the offenders must be prepared to face the consequences thereof. The Chief Internal Auditor of the GES, Bismark Akandi, said the Guideline for School Fees and Levies clearly spell out the financial responsibilities of both the government on one hand, and guardians on the other, and that guardians can negotiate with school authorities to pay their wards’ school fees in installment. Mr Akandi also stressed the warning to school heads not to use the cost of education to discriminate between the rich and poor.

Source: Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)

Kumbungu SHS students demonstrate against headmaster

Students of Kumbungu Senior High School (SHS) Monday morning staged a demonstration against the school’s headmaster Francis Tia Dokurugu accusing him of failing to supervise teachers resulting in students’ poor performance.

Joy News’ Northern regional correspondent, Martina Bugri reports that first and second-year students of the school started the protest in the Monday morning at about 8am.

The students say teachers often turn up late for work, routinely missing their first lessons and leaving before the last lessons in order to catch the afternoon bus to Tamale where many of them reside.

Tamale is 22kilimeters from the school and is a one hour journey by motorbike.

According to the students, for the past two years, students of the school who sat the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) performed poorly.

The school was ranked 483 out of over 700 schools who participated in the 2013 SHS league table of academic performance.

Only 19.2% of the 368 students passed in six to eight subjects during the 2013 WASSCE.

Martina Bugri reports that there is little semblance of ongoing academic work although final-year students are preparing for exams later in the week.

Final-year students did not take part in the demonstrations.

The students have also accused the headmaster of converting bungalows meant for teachers into hostels for female students.

Kumbungu SHS is struggling with serious infrastructure problems for its 1,200 students.

There is an unusual practice where a majority of the students live on rented apartments outside campus because of a lack of boarding facilities.

The headmaster was not available for comment.

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com

Legacy Girls College - All-girls private boarding school opened to empower women

Legacy Girls College, a privately owned all-girls boarding school has been opened in Akuse,  a town in the Lower Manya Krobo district of the Eastern Region.

Speaking at the grand opening of the senior high school, Co-Founder of the institution, Ellen Hagan, admonished young girls to excel in the world of work, know their self-worth, discover their purpose and be more solution-oriented in making the world a better place.

Ellen Hagan (left) and Mrs. Essie Anno Sackey, Co-Founders of Legacy Girls College, jointly giving their remarks at the inaugural ceremony.

The inaugural ceremony, according to school, was to introduce Legacy Girls College to guests and Ghana as a whole and to acquaint them with the ideals on which the school was founded.

In a keynote address, CEO of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Mawuena Trebarh, noted that every girl who attends Legacy Girls College is destined to be successful and leave a worthy legacy because of the foundation on which the school was established.

The principal of the school, Maranatha Kove, revealed that Legacy Girls College has a mission to “nurture the immense potential of girls to be whatever they want to be in a fast-changing and increasingly complex world".

She adds that education for the Legacy girls will be aimed at preparing them to succeed in the real world by  training them to be confident and caring with state of the art facilities that make learning enjoyable.

The school crest was unveiled by Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, CEO of Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) and Her Excellency Ms. Margit Thomsen, Danish Ambassador to Ghana.

The Ambassador said the timing for the inauguration of Legacy College - which aims also to empower women - was appropriate because it coincides with Denmark's celebration of  100 years of women’s voting rights.

The crest was then explained by Queen Nana Adwoa Awindor, Executive Director at Obaapa Development Foundation and Premier Productions.

Essie Anno Sackey, Co-Founder of Legacy Girls College, in her closing remarks, thanked all those present and encouraged them to choose Legacy Girls College in order to give their girls the grounding needed to make a meaningful impact in society.

Also present at the event was Dr. Erica Bennet, Ambassador for the Diasporan African Forum (DAF); Nana Oye Lithur, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection; Dr. Mrs. Sylvia Boye, former Head of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) and Mrs. Joyce Boeh - Ocansey, Head of Recruitment, LAINE Services Limited.

Courses offered at Legacy Girls College are Enhanced Ghanaian curriculum and British Curriculum for Senior High Schools with ancillary departments for BECE remedial.

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com

3 more teachers arrested in Adjena Secondary Technical School exam fraud

Three more teachers at the Adjena Secondary Technical School in the Eastern Region have been arrested for allegedly helping students cheat in the ongoing West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

This brings to six the number of people arrested in connection with the exam malpractice.

The arrests follow Joy News’ investigation which revealed how a syndicate is leaking examination papers and compromising the entire 2015 West Africa exams.

Public Relations Officer at the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, Joseph Benefo Darkwa, says the suspects will be sent to court before Wednesday.

"We have in addition to the trio who were arrested, intelligence have led to the arrest of another three people," he told Joy FM.

"We are still investigating. After investigations, we will be able to tell which people are culpable.

"If we finish with our investigations, then they will be put before court today but if we are not through with our investigations then we will send them to court tomorrow.

"But we are hoping that we complete our investigations today," he assured.

Source: Ghana|Myjoyonline.com

The University of Ghana holds three simultaneous matriculation at Distance Education (DE) Learning Centres.

Accra, April 27, GNA – The University of Ghana (UG) for the first time, has held three simultaneous matriculation at its Accra City Campus, Kumasi, and Tamale Distance Education (DE) Learning Centres.

Matriculants at the Accra City Campus were drawn from Accra, Cape Coast, Tsito, Koforidua and Takoradi Learning Centres, while that of the Kumasi and Sunyani centres took place in Kumasi; whereas the Tamale centre hosted students from Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa centres.

Addressing the matriculants at the Accra City Campus, Professor Ernest Ayittey, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of UG, said, for the first time, matriculation ceremonies were being held concurrently in three regional learning centres, as part of the long-term goal to transform the regional centres into satellite campuses of the University.

He said there had being a number of changes in the DE mode of the University starting from  the 2014/2015 academic year which aimed at improving on delivery and making the distance learning mode more attractive to students.

The VC mentioned that one of such changes was the restructuring and expansion of the programmes on offer.

Prof Ayittey announced that programmes being offered had been expanded to include Nursing and Information Technology.

He said the Nursing programme, run in conjunction with the School of Nursing, had proven to be particularly popular in most regional centres.

He disclosed that a total of 653 applications were received this academic year for Nursing, out of which 513 were admitted and 450 enrolled, representing 38 per cent of the total number of enrolled DE students.

The VC said the Bachelor of Science in Administration and Bachelor of Arts programmes remained popular choices for their DE students, with 346 and 367 students respectively accepting offers this academic year.

He pointed out that there were 21 students enrolled in their newly-introduced Bachelor of Science programme in Information Technology, which for this academic year was being offered at the Accra City Campus.

On the general enrolment, the VC observed that figures for the 2014/2015 academic year were up from last year’s figure of 775 to 1184, representing a 52 per cent increase.

“We are working hard as a University to not only to increase the numbers of our students in the Distance Learning mode, but also to improve the facilities and learning experiences that our students have,” Prof Ayittey stated.

“Starting from this year, DE students were admitted to their regional centres, and with the improvement of facilities in the centres, the students will have all tutorials and examinations in their centres, without having to come down to Legon, as has been the practice over the years,” he added.

He said the collegiate system which was implemented at the beginning of this academic year would provide more room for innovations at the school and college levels, and the semi-autonomous nature of the colleges would enable them take more decisions on their academic programmes and administration.

Prof Ayittey recounted that the University recently inaugurated a $ 37.5 million Information Communication Technology (ICT) project for its DE programme under the Chinese Phase Two ICT Project.

He said the project, funded with a Chinese Government loan procured by the Ghana Government on behalf of UG, had deployed an integrated Digital Mobile Learning platform for DE.

“This is part of a larger set of activities reflecting the strong desire of UG to use ICT as a major strategy in achieving its future goals,” Prof Ayittey said.

The VC said as part of the project, the Accra, Koforidua, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tsito and Wa Centres had been equipped with modern facilities; with each centre provided with ultra-modern computer labs, smart classrooms, a video conference facility, backup generators and outdoor Wi-Fi.

He noted that in addition, as part of the project; 3000 internet enabled android tablets had been acquired; pre-loaded with the relevant teaching and learning materials, and distributed to newly admitted students.

Prof Ayittey said the DE programme was therefore, in the process of moving away from paper-based teaching materials to Sakai, an eLearning platform, which has enhanced teaching and learning.

“Also as part of the plan to grow regional learning centres into campuses of the University, work has started on the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the regional learning centres,” the VC said.

Prof Ayittey further urged the students to take their studies seriously and determine to be part of the 2017 and 2018 graduating classes for those admitted to level 200 and 100 respectively.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Anglican University College of Technology appeals for assistance

Nkoranza (B/A), April 26, GNA – The Authorities of the Anglican University College of Technology at Nkoranza in the Brong-Ahafo Region have appealed to the First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama to assist the Institution to set up three Health Programmes to enhance its development.

According to the University, the Programmes include Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Diploma in Midwifery and Health Assistants.

Reverend Canon Dr. Joe Eyison, the Dean of the School of Food and Health Science of the University made the appeal on behalf of the Institution through the Omanhene of Nkoranza, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom, when the First Lady paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene at his Palace on Wednesday.

Rev. (Dr.) Eyison said the University had been given the clearance by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to run the three Programmes in the 2015/2016 Academic Year and would therefore need the support of the First Lady to be able to articulate the plans.

He stressed that the Institution had contracted the services of MEVEGA Consortium to draw a curriculum and identified the list of books and equipment that would lead it to get accreditation from the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to start work on the three Programmes.

Rev.(Dr) Eyison identified inadequate classrooms, lack of skills laboratories for the General Nursing and Midwifery as well as inadequate Recommended Text-books as major challenges facing the University, emphasizing that, the position was militating against the immediate take off of the Programmes, hence imploring Mrs Mahama for her assistance in that direction.

The Dean of School of Food and Health Science of the University expressed the hope that the establishment of the three Programmes would serve the people of Nkoranza and its environs and even the entire country to fill the manpower requirement to meet the Millennium Development Goals Four(4) and Five(5).

Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom added his voice to the University’s request and urged the Government to come to its aid, as a way to expand the Academic Programmes of the Institution.

The Omanhene praised Mrs. Mahama for assisting them with a number of development programmes to complement the efforts of Government to improve the lifestyles of the people of the area.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Increase financial literacy in education system – Professor William Steel

Accra, April 27, GNA - Professor William Steel, an Adjunct Professor of the University of Ghana’s Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, has called for greater inclusion of financial literacy in Ghana’s education system.

He cited one instance where some remarkable finance educational materials which were being used in Zambia, were found to have Ghanaian origins: the materials exist in Ghana but are not being employed in teaching and learning.

The Adjunct Professor was speaking on the theme: “The Role of Financial Services in Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion in Ghana,” at the annual general meeting of the Brandeis Graduate Association of Ghana in Accra.

He said poverty reduction, social and financial inclusion efforts for the marginalized in society, such as the provision of micro-finance services, must embed more financial literacy for the targeted low income earners and for the younger generation as well. 

“In Ghana, the good news is that financial services have been extended to many people, but the bad news is the interest rates; and many people are not very literate to know what they are getting into,” Prof Steel said.

The Brandeis Graduate Association of Ghana which is the Ghanaian alumni association of Brandeis University in Massachusetts, was inaugurated in 2014 with the aim of reducing poverty and improving access of the deprived in society, to education and health.

Mr Samuel Kwotuah, President of Brandeis Graduate Association of Ghana, said the self-funding association was not in a rush to design and execute its projects as they need to be designed carefully to be feasible.

He disclosed that in the near future, the organization would be going into policy dialogue with government.

“We will be taking some of the policies, trying to analyze those policies and see how the policies will have impact on Ghanaians and what advice we can give to government so that we would be able to implement laudable policies”, the President said.

Source: GNA

Ghana needs visionary professionals - Minister of Education

Accra, April 25, GNA - Professor Naana Opoku Agyeman, the Minister of Education Saturday said the country’s economy needs dedicated and visionary professionals who are ready to make sacrifices to change the fortune of the economy for national development.

She noted that, there is the need to build human capital since it is critical to the country’s development and that, it is imperative to make in-roads to churn out competent and skilled professionals irrespective of the area of expertise.

This was in a statement read on her behalf at the 24th Graduation and Admission ceremony of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana, in Accra.

The ceremony witnessed the graduation of 297 qualified chartered accountants, with 43 graduating from the Accounting Technicians Scheme of West Africa. Fifty-one others graduated in chartered Diploma courses, whilst 296 were inducted into the membership of the institute.

She urged them to develop the attitude of resilience and perseverance, adding that, government is counting on the Institute to support its efforts in ensuring that financial processes and procedures are free of any hindrances.

The Minister said her Ministry is committed to partnering the Institute to drive the human capital development agenda of the country to put the nation on a sure footing.

The Minister said their outfits are collaborating with the Institute to get the revised bill through into law and help streamline accountancy practice in the country.

She urged the graduates to uphold the tenets of the profession and ensure accountability and integrity in their field of disciplines since they are imperative in the country’s democratic dispensation as well as correct the negative perception about the accountancy profession.

Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, the Managing Director of Graphic Communications urged the graduates to refrain from misconducts, by observing proper professional standards and avoid mixing professional and personal relationships.

Mr Ashigbey stressed that, as professional accountants, it behooves on them to be part of management to implement a system of controls, financial or otherwise, to carry on the business in an orderly and efficient manner.

He urged them to strive for continuous education and learn from other mentors, colleagues and clients to further enhance their professional development.

Professor Kwame Boasiako Omane-Antwi, the President of the Institute, said professional accountants are part of the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda and have contributed in that regard through high-qualified financial reporting, auditing and financial management.

These, he said, attracts foreign direct investment, promotes growth and development of the Small and Medium Enterprises sector, increases transparency and accountability in the use of public funds and improves the design and delivery of vital public services.

He said the Institute would continue to institutionalize its programmes, such as the continuous professional development, to sharpen the knowledge base of members.

Source: Ghana News Agency