Free SHS education to begin next academic year

The Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang says the programme to make second cycle education more accessible, especially in underserved areas, is on course.

To give greater meaning to the programme, the government initiated a project to build 200 community day secondary schools in selected communities.

The President cut the sod for the commencement of the first phase of the project with the construction of 50 schools on March 3, 2014 at Kwaobaah-Nyanoa, near Adeiso in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region.

When the education ministry took its turn at the meet the press series in Accra Tuesday, Prof Opoku Agyemang said the 50 schools in selected communities were at various stages of completion.

She said the government’s policy of the progressive free SHS education would begin as announced in the 2015/2016 academic year for more than 367,565 second cycle students.

Additionally, she said, with support from the World Bank under the Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP), the construction of 23 new schools, with bungalows for staff and heads, facilities improvement for 50 existing schools, quality improvement for 125 existing schools and the provision of scholarships for 10,400 students were all progressing.

Highlights

The minister gave progress reports on the 20 educational institutions and agencies under the ministry.

She gave some of the highlights as improvements in teacher training and professional development, the institution of a best school award this year and the standardisation of school fees across the country.

On teacher training and development, the goal was to increase the numbers and quality of trained teachers in language, Mathematics and Science, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said that a teacher career progression policy to guide the licensing and registration of teachers, as well as an appraisal system to measure teacher effectiveness as a criteria for promotion had been instituted.

On the institution of best schools award, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said it would be an expansion of the Best Teacher Award initiative.

She said a committee of teacher unions, representations from teaching universities, past best teacher coordinators, retired directors of education and chairpersons of best teacher assessment panels were helping the ministry to expand the best teacher award scheme to cover the acknowledgement of schools.

The objective, she explained, would be to reward teaching and support services.

On the standardisation of school fees, the minister said all stakeholders had held consultative discussions to agree on standardised fees, based on the needs of schools.

Campus connect

Prof. Opoku Agyemang said the Campus Connect initiative, instituted to strengthen relations between the government and the student body, would be strengthened in fulfilment of the President’s pledge to promote accountable and transparent governance.

Social Interventions

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said a procurement process for locally made leather shoes had been completed for the shoes to be distributed to needy school children.

She said the ministry was also currently procuring 500,000 school uniforms and 15 million exercise books to be distributed to 36,686 basic schools.

Source:  Caroline Boateng, Graphic Online

Catholic University College launches programme to unearth talents of SHS students

Sunyani, June 15, GNA – The Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG) at Fipare, near Sunyani, has launched the 2015 edition of the High School Creative Challenge for Senior High Schools in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The High School Creative Challenge is an event organized by the Innovation Laboratory, a research initiative at the CUCG, aimed at helping to discover and develop creative arts talents in students.

Mr. Edward Atwum Anane, the CUCG Coordinator for the programme told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Sunyani that the event created the platform for SHS students to showcase their talents in music, comedy, dance, fashion, drama and painting.

He explained that Innovation LAB, in collaboration with the Brong-Ahafo Regional Directorate of Education would implement the programme in eight SHSs in the Region, adding 24 students would be selected who would compete for awards and prizes in the final event scheduled for October this year.

The schools are Sunyani SHS, St James Seminary/SHS, Notre Damme Girls’ SHS, Scared Heart SHS, Bechem Presbyterian SHS, Boakye Tromo Technical/SHS, Ola Girls’ SHS and Dormaa SHS.

Mr. Anane appealed to businesses and all stakeholders, especially those in the education sector to support the programme to achieve set goals and target.


Source: GNA

BECE invigilator arrested for carrying phone into exam hall

An invigilator at the Senya Senior High School (SHS) centre in the Central Region has been arrested for allegedly carrying his phone into the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) hall and taking pictures. The 2015 edition of the examination began today on Monday with over 400,000 candidates from over 13,000 public and private basic schools participating. 

According to Citi News’ Magdalene Larnyoh, the teacher was arrested after “he was spotted taking photos with his mobile phone in the examination hall.”

Per the rules governing the examination, the invigilators are not allowed to bring in any form of gadgets or foreign materials. 

This follows recurring incident of examination malpractices in the past in which some invigilators have been implicated. 

The Director General of Education in the district subsequently said his outfit will handle the issue as a criminal one. The said invigilator has since been barred from the exercise.


Source: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Government to strengthen supervision in schools

Bimbilla, June 9, GNA - Alhaji Limuna Mohammed- Muniru, Northern Regional Minister, has said the government was working to strengthen supervision in public schools, to deal with teacher absenteeism and ensure quality education.

He said: “Our strongest desire is to strengthen supervision and deal with offending teachers so that they would find it equally important, like their colleagues in private schools, to do the work expected of them.”

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru made these remarks in a speech read on his behalf at the second congregation of the Bimbilla Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) College of Education at Bimbilla over the weekend.

A total of 566 students, comprising 427 regular and 139 sandwich students graduated with Diplomas in Basic Education.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru said teacher absenteeism and lack of supervision in public schools were concerns to government, since they affected quality education delivery, and urged the new teachers to be regular in school.

“Your commitment to serve should be the overriding factor in all that you do, it does not pay nor benefit you in anyway to be a truant teacher and only pretend to work when the supervisor is around.

You must cultivate the sense of inner feeling of satisfaction that you are serving your people and imparting knowledge,” he told the newly-trained teachers.

Touching on the withdrawal of teacher-trainees' allowance by the government, the Minister said it was not an act of wickedness, but one that would ensure a high intake at the Colleges of Education, and allow a lot more people to be trained as teachers.

He announced that a teacher trainees’ loan scheme had been introduced to replace the allowance, adding, government placed premium on teacher education and would not turn its back on teachers.

He touched on a number of infrastructural projects being undertaken in the Nanumba North District, besides the Eastern Corridor Road, and gave the assurance that government would continue to pursue policies and programmes that would make life better for the citizenry.

Mr Abdulai Abu-wemah, Principal of the Bimbilla E.P College of Education, said the College had developed a five-year strategic plan to further develop and entrench its enrollment system, by creating more programmes and expanding them by linkages with sister-institutions to allow trainees to get the best of knowledge.

He said the College was fast growing in student-population, and appealed to government to help address the serious infrastructural challenges, saying it could not admit more students due to inadequate lecture halls and dormitories.


Source: GNA

2000 year group of PRESEC Old BoysAssociation to adopt Korle Bu Children’s Ward

The 2000 year group of Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC) Old Boys Association has decided to adopt the children's ward of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The group disclosed this when they presented items worth a little over 5,000 Ghana cedis to the hospital.

Speaking during the presentation of the items President of the 2000 year group, Foster Mensah said they the group was encouraged to carry out the donation because of the recent floods that hit the department.

“Looking at how critical the department is in providing healthcare to the young ones in the country, we decided to move now and come and support you" Mr. Mensah told hospital officials.

Items donated included drinks, soaps, detergents, rice, toys, bags of purified, water and medicines.

Mr Mensah added that the 2000 year group was engaging with their partners to adopt the ward in a bid to assist the hospital in its work.

Receiving the items, a senior medical officer at the department, Madam Aggie Boateng, thanked the PRESEC Old Boy’s Association, adding that it is her hope that the donation would encourage other corporate entities and groups to come to the hospital's aid.

The Old Boys later went into the wards to distribute some of the items personally to children who were excited to see the old boys just coming around to visit them.


Source: Myjoyonline.com

Student shot dead in Bawku

A student of the Bawku Technical Institute has been shot dead by unknown assailants.

According to the Police, Emmanuel Awuni Issah was going home from school on a motorbike with a female colleague when he was shot by three ‘assailants.’

The Bawku District Commander of Police, Chief Inspector Lovelace Kaletsi Tefutor confirmed the shooting toCiti News in an interview.

“Yesterday the students of Bawku technical school were rioting so the District Chief Executive (DCE and the Municipal Director of Education decided to close down the school because they did not want to return to their books. We asked the students to leave the school by 6:00. At dawn today, I was called by the Garu district commander that a student of Bawku school who was on a motorbike with a lady behind him was shot by unknown assailants, 3 of them on motorbikes who run away.”

He however clarified that the incident happened in Garu and not in Bawku as had been initially reported stating that “the student was shot in Garu but not in Bawku as stated.”

He revealed that the Police are ” following the investigation trend to make sure that those who are cattle raiders and those who are known to have criminal records” to determine any connection to the incident.

Bawku Technical Institute closed down

The Bawku Institute was closed down following the disturbances in the school.

The students went on hunger-strike over the promotion of the Vice Principal in charge of Academics, Jacob Felli, a favourite of the students, to the position of Director of Education for Kasena Nankana Municipality.

The police were called in to ensure calm but a decision was taken by the DCE to close the school down to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

No police seriously hurt in disturbances

The Bawku Police Commander told Citi News that no security personnel had been seriously hurt in the clashes with the students.

The riot personnel who were sent to the school were pelted with stones and there were reports that some of the police personnel had been injured.

However Chief Inspector Tefutor denied this saying, “Initially when we went to the campus to ask them to return to the classroom, we sent in two riot cars. The police men were in the riot cars when the students were throwing stones at them. No police officers were injured, there were military personnel as well, not none of them were seriously injured,” he explained”

‘Situation calm’

Chief Inspector Lovelace Tefutor stated that the situation on the campus had calmed down as all the students had returned home following the closure of the school.

“Now the situation is calm because we have sent all the students home. There is nobody on campus now.”

Source: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Students Boycott Meals To Protest Promotion Of ‘Beloved’ Teacher

Promotions in any job is usually celebrated by well wishers, but students of the Bauku Technical Institute in the Upper East Region are upset that their favourite teacher has to leave them soon, and are protesting by boycotting their meals.

The beloved teacher, Jacob Felli who is also the Vice Principal in-charge of academics, has been promoted to the position of Director of Education for Kasena Nankana Municipality.

Even though the students want him to succeed, they say his departure will affect their academic work.

They reportedly tried to present a petition to the paramount chief of the Bawku traditional area Naba Asigri Azorka II about their concern but were stopped by the Police.

The Police say the students started chanting songs, dancing in the middle of the Bawku -Bolga road and causing commotion.

Bawku divisional Police Commander chief superintendent, Lovelace Tefutor said they refused to eat breakfast, lunch and supper and in view of that the Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Bukari Issaku decided to close down the school temporarily until further notice.

All students were subsequently asked to go home until further notice.

When Citi News contacted Jacob Felli, he confirmed being promoted but called for calm.

According to ASP Agbanyo, the students did not vandalise any school property but the Police will continue to patrol the school.

This is the third school in the Upper East Region which had to be closed down due to students protest.

Some of the school that were closed down includes the Bolgatanga Senior High School and recently the Bolgatanga Technical Institute.


Source: Citifmonline.com

Mission schools demand 30 per cent admission quota

Kumasi, June 4, GNA – The Catholic Diocese of Konongo-Mampong in the Ashanti Region has called for a 30 per cent admission quota in all Senior High Schools founded by faith organisations.

The demand has been necessitated by lack of access to admission of members’ wards into these mission schools, a situation created by the introduction of the Computer Schools Selection Placement (CSSP).

In a communique issued after the first Synod held by the Catholic Diocese of the Konongo-Mampong at the Spiritan University of Ejisu, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the situation defeated the very objectives for which the schools were established.

The communiqué signed by the Most Rev Joseph Osei Bonsu, Catholic Bishop of the Diocese and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, called for a re-look of the country’s education to ensure that high premium was placed on the moral and human formation of the youth.

“Our schools are not doing enough in the area of the moral and human formation of the youth as evidenced in the current state of widespread examination malpractices”, the communiqué said.

“The low level of academic achievement, especially in the rural areas, continue to bedevil our educational system and scar the conscience of the nation” it said.

The communique said it was distressing that parents, teachers and other education officials actually colluded with students to cheat at examinations under the misguided idea of securing the student’s future.

“In the light of the alarming situation, it was regrettable that governments, by their policies, continue to side-line the missions in the supervision and management of mission schools in the country”, it said.

It noted with regret that in spite of all the huge investments in the area of national development, the country continues as a nation to churn out unemployable graduates and attributed this to the unilateral emphasis on just the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

The communiqué urged government to reconsider some of these policies and enter into meaningful partnerships with all stakeholders for the sake of the future of the teeming youth in the country.

Source: GNA

More than 70 schools to close over ‘struggling’ Capitation Grant

About 79 second cycle institutions in the three regions of the North risk closure, if government fails to defray the accumulated debt associated with the Capitation Grant.

Reports indicate that food suppliers to the affected schools have withdrawn their services and waiting for government’s response.

The Coalition of Parent Teacher Associations of second cycle institutions in the three regions of the north has served notice that it  will embark on a series of demonstrations over the developments.

At a news conference, the Tamale Metropolitan Secretary of the Coalition, Woadrago Isaac said the suppliers have abandoned the schools due to government’s continuous indebtedness.

According to Woadrago, government has only paid 50 percent of the feeding grant debt for
the third term of the 2013/14 academic season.

This according to him, forced the food suppliers to withdraw their services.

He noted that the regional network of parent teacher association with support from Tampata a local PTA network and the centre for active learning and integrated learning, conducted an investigation which also showed that “Senior High School heads are barely managing to feed students and may not be able to do so for the rest of the term if the grants are not forthcoming.”

The suppliers are no longer willing to advance  food stuffs on credit to the schools concerned or may do so at a higher cost.

Wadrago maintained that no amount of persuasion will stop the planned demonstrations unless government defrays the debt.

–By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Teachers in Brong Ahafo threaten strike over unpaid salaries

Teachers at the Nafana Senior High School (SHS) in the Brong Ahafo region have embarked on a strike to demand their unpaid salaries.

The teachers say they can no longer cope with the apathy of officials at the Controller and Accountant Generals Department over their unpaid salaries.

They have threatened to remain on strike until their monies are released.

Citi News’ Brong Ahafo Regional Correspondent, Kwadwo Brefo said the teachers say they find it difficult to make ends meet.

Speaking to Citi News one of the affected teachers expressed their worry and mistrust in the Department.

“We have not been paid.We do our validation and send to Controller and Accountant General and the first month… they assured us that the following month it will come but March ending nothing came. This has continued up till now and we have not received anything. No one has given us any official notice that this is what is happening,” he complained.

Please maintain industrial peace – Minister

Lecturers and teachers across the country have for sometime now been protesting the non payment of their book and research allowance and other issues.

In 2014, lecturers withdrew their services for a number of weeks over the issue but the
government refused to maintain the research and book allowance.

The situation compelled the Minister of  Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu t o call for calm.

– By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Teachers advised to use innovative means to teach

A psychologist, Dr Annie Gaisie has stressed the need for teachers to use innovative methods to understand the minds and attitudes of school pupils.

According to her, simple innovative methods like dance can help teachers to communicate with pupils and understand them better.

The psychologist said this at a Social Action Day program organized at Brainy Bairn School at West Legon in Accra.

Dance therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body.

Dr Gaisie who participated in the school’s Social Action Day program introduced the therapy to teachers and parents of the Brainy Bairn School.

She said when children listen to the lyrics of good music and dance, the brain releases “happy hormones” to every part of the body that help a child to communicate anger, stress, frustrations, abuse and more.

She added, “as they dance, they dance the stress and everything out. It is just like pushing out your anxiety and everything”.

Head teacher of Brainy Bairn, Akweley Odonkor said the school will adopt the method to help some of its pupils “who are not forthcoming when it comes to contributing in class”. 

She was optimistic both teachers and pupils will  benefit greatly from the therapy.

“We have many children struggling to settle down, attention seekers…teachers will be able to come up with five minutes dance moves that will cause children to reorient themselves and settle for the day”, she said.


By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana

GHANASS ‘98 year group supports alma mater

The Headmaster of the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, Very Rev. Abraham Osei Donkor, has expressed gratitude to past students of the school for their support for infrastructural development and improvement of the academic standard of the school.

He however, called on past students of the school who had not yet contributed their quota towards the development the school, to emulate the example of their colleagues.

Donation

Very Rev Donkor was speaking at a ceremony at which the 1998 year group of the school presented a projector and accessories valued at GH¢4,000 to their alma mater, to among others, enhance the teaching and learning of science.

The presentation was done by a delegation from the group in Koforidua.

Very Rev. Donkor appealed to other old student groups to visit the school regularly, support it, and also share their life stories with the students to motivate them and give them hope for the future.

He commended members of the 1998 group for their spirit of voluntarism and called on other year groups to emulate their example.

Delegation’s remark

Presenting the projector, Prince Bugbane, an anaesthetist, who led the delegation, said the gesture, which was not their first, would not be their last and on behalf of the group, encouraged the students never to stop learning, adding that “learning continues even after school or formal education.”

“Please avoid deviant behaviours like drug abuse and truancy. Let your main focus be activities that will help you to pass your final examination,” he added.

Source: Written by Doreen Andoh, Graphic.com.gh

Beneficiaries of Government scholarship in 7 regions receive package

More than 10,000 senior high school students are to benefit from the government’s scholarship of $500 each over the next three years.

The scholarship scheme is being implemented under the Secondary Schools Improvement Project (SEIP), which is funded by the World Bank.

The scholarship will cover approved school fees and levies, transport to school or bicycles, school uniforms, house dresses, physical education kits, school shoes and bags, relevant stationery and supplementary readers.

The criteria used in selecting beneficiary students indicates that the student must be an orphan; one who takes care of herself or himself; a physically challenged student without support; a student who has sickle cells; a student living with HIV and AIDS; or a student in a household with income below the minimum wage.

In Accra, the Ministry of Education gave scholarships to 2,300 students who were selected to benefit from a scholarship programme for the 2014/2015 academic year at a ceremony yesterday.

The beneficiaries were from the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern and the Volta regions, while similar presentations were made simultaneously in other parts of the country.

Each beneficiary student will be entitled to $500 per annum for three years.

Purpose of scholarship

In a speech read on her behalf, the Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang explained that the purpose of the scholarship scheme was to provide support to needy students and aimed at increasing enrolment, improving retention and completion rates, as well as improving students’ academic performance, among others.

Beneficiaries

The 2,300 beneficiaries, she explained, were part of the SEIP Project which sought to give scholarships to 10,400 students from low-income families, comprising 6,400 girls and 4,000 boys, over a three-year period, to enable them to complete their secondary level education.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the selection process was managed by a team including the district directors of education, heads of beneficiary schools, district girls education officers, assembly members and members of District Education Oversight Committees (DEOCs).

Disbursement

On the disbursement, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said specific guidelines had been put in place to ensure that the managers adhered to disbursement criteria.

As part of the guidelines, the list of all beneficiaries must be posted on the noticeboards of schools, district education offices and district assemblies, and parents of the beneficiaries invited to the schools to be briefed on the scholarship scheme, including its administration and payments to beneficiaries.

A similar presentation ceremony was held in Kumasi, reports Donald Ato Dapatem.

Presenting the cheques to the heads of 50 schools in the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Western regions, a Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Alex Kyeremeh, said schools must deduct arrears owed by students for the first and second terms of the 2014/2015 academic year and pay the difference to the parents and guardians of the scholarship beneficiaries.

World ranking

The Deputy Minister debunked a recent report by the BBC that an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranking of educational levels placed Ghana at the last position.

He said Ghana was not a member of the OECD countries and, therefore, could not be assessed.


Source: Written by Severious Kale-Dery & Donald Ato Dapatem, Graphic Online(graphic.com.gh)

Nifa SHS headmaster sacked over alleged sexual assault

Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that Alex Acquah, headmaster of Nifa Senior High School in the Akropong North Municipality of the Eastern Region, has been sacked by the Ghana Education Service (GES) over alleged sexual assault.

This follows a suit by the assistant headmistress for attempted rape.

Ms Anna Duodo, the assistant headmistress, took the matter to the Akropong circuit court where the headmaster was charged for sexual assault and attempting to rape his assistant in office in May last year.

Anna Duodo also challenged her transfer from the school by the Regional Education Director following a complaint of rape, after she had filed the suit. The action, she claimed, was taken after several petitions to the Educational Directorate and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).

Excerpts of the petition, sighted by DAILY GUIDE read: “As I entered his office, he seized hold of me, dragged me to a chair, tripped me up into it and sat astride me.

I was in a skirt and a buttoned top, he debuttoned the top, took hold of my breasts and fondled them.

“Because there was no one around, all my distress cum protest yells came to naught.

“At this point, he had fully worked himself into a frenzy; he pulled me from the chair and tried to stretch me on a table while he stripped himself naked. He relaxed his grip on me and when he was almost stark naked he let go completely of me.

“Perhaps he thought I had yielded or had been prostrated by the struggle. Then I made an escape with the little strength in me before he fully got out of his boxer pant.”

Meanwhile, lawyers of GNAT withdrew the case for out-of-court settlement with Acquah on 6 May, 2015.

The court further ordered the GES up to May 20, 2015 to come back and brief it on the outcome of the settlement.


Source: Daily Guide

Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) Ghana Limited pumps GHc 200,000 into GES Super Zonal Soccer Championship

Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) Ghana Limited has reached an agreement with the Ghana Education Services (GES), Greater Accra Regional Directorate to sponsor the Super Zonal Soccer competition amongst Senior High Schools (SHS) in Greater Accra region. 

The sponsorship deal will last for the next five years.

This sponsorship package will see GT Bank fund the total cost involved in organizing the two-day soccer competition consisting of eight teams that comprise four female and four male teams across the four zones in this year’s competition is about GHc200,000. 

The amount covers the development of a logo for the zonal competition and all the associated publicity, two trophies, eight footballs, a set of jerseys (total of 144 units) for each participating team.

The tournament is scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium on 25th and 26th May, 2015 and will feature eight teams made of second cycle students from schools across the four zones in the Greater Accra Regional Directorate. 

The competition has been dubbed Director’s Cup and as part of the sponsorship agreement, the tournament will be called GT Bank Super Zonal Soccer Championship. 

Speaking at the launch, the managing director of (GT Bank) Ghana Limited, Mr. Lekan Sanusi has stated that is one of the greatest opportunities for the Bank to contribute to the development of the country. 

He said as a footie-passionate nation, they realize that one of the surest ways in keeping our youth focused in whatever they do is to help develop and sustain the enthusiasm and healthy competition in the arena of football and also once it is achieved, discipline in other areas would naturally be attained.  

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ahmed thanks the GT Bank for their kind gesture and also urged them to help others sports. 

The ultimate prize at stake in the GT Bank Zonal Soccer Championship is directors’ Cup for the winning team, individual awards that come with a cash prize of GHc1, 000 and a free bank account for participating players who will distinguish themselves. The individual awards are best players, top scorer, best defender, and best goalkeeper.


Source: Ghana/Asempa Sports/ Immortal Agyakwah-Acheampong

Final Year SHS Girl Beaten By Teachers Wife

A final year Home Economics student of Asesewa Senior High School in the Upper Manya District of the Eastern Region has been physically assaulted by the wife of a Biology tutor in the same school for allegedly dating his husband, Eugene Acheampong.

The wife of the Biology teacher,who is even a food vendor in the school attacked the female student on campus during school hours and beat the student mercilessly.

"She would have strip her naked If not for the intervention of some students on campus who went to the rescue of the victim and rushed her to the Asesewa Government Hospital," an eyewitness told Michael Akrofi.

According to Peace FM's Eastern Regional correspondent, Michael Akrofi, sources in the school say it's the teacher who is always harassing the victim on campus.

Several complaints have been made to Mr. Seth Abgesi, the Assistant Headmaster of the school and authorities about the conduct of the said teacher but nothing has been done about it.

Currently the victim is in the school taking her last paper in the ongoing WASSCE after being discharged from the Asesewa Government Hospital.

The Headmaster of Asesewa SHS, Mr. Samuel Gyebi Yeboah and his assistant Headmaster Mr.Seth Abgesi in an interview said a committee has been set up to investigate the issue which has also been reported to the Asesewa police.


Source: Michael Akrofi, Peace Fm, Eastern Regional Correspondent

Managers of Education to sign performance contracts - Director-General of the Ghana Education Service

Managers of Education would soon sign performance contracts, the Director General of Education, Dr Jacob Korh has disclosed.

The Director General of Education, who made this disclosure during a working to the Upper East Region, expressed the hope that this would help arrest the fallen standards of education in the country.

He wondered why private schools, which have many untrained teachers are able to teach students to perform well than those in the government schools, who were well trained professional teachers, and attributed the trend to the lack of commitment, dedication and love for the teaching profession.

Dr Korh assigned the good performance of students in the private schools to the high level of supervision , which, he noted, culminates in increased time on task and the teachers high work output .
“Let me call on teachers to please lift up the banner of the profession. Your reward is here on earth and also in heaven, we shall not compromise on excellence”, the Director General cautioned.

He told the Managers of Education that, under the performance contract, all Regional and District Directors, Headmasters and Head teachers and teachers, including other categories of Staff, would be made to sign the performance contract.

He said the performance contract would be used as a yardstick to either promote or demote the Managers and mentioned among the criteria as good performance of students, high enrolment, lobbying on one’s own to bring development to a school, good discipline among students, punctual attendance to school and quality teaching.

The Director General, who admonished students to be law abiding, impressed upon them to take their studies seriously and eschew drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, pre-marital sex and examination malpractices.

Briefing the Director General about the educational challenges in the region, the Regional Director of Education, Mr Emmamuel Zumakpeh, mentioned the lack of office accommodation for District Directorates, Staff accommodation, Students dormitories and Classrooms.

He also mentioned the lack of means of transpiration, delay in the release of School Feeding Grants, lack of staff, lack of workshops and laboratories in some Senior High Schools, among others.

The Regional Director, who blamed the fallen standards of education partly to the above mentioned challenges, stated for instance that, the Talensi District Directorate of Education, which has been operating for a decade now had no office accommodation and said the three classroom block, which had been converted into an office accommodation is also housing the Director, accountant and other officers.

He said, apart from the four newly created Districts in the Region, which could boast of vehicles for Directors, the remaining nine District Directors had no vehicles, affecting monitoring and supervision as well as attending meetings in places like Kumasi and Accra.

“To compound the situation is the lack of school buses in the schools, which is also affecting academic and social activities. The School authorities are compelled to hire buses for the students any time they embark on educational trips or to participate in social activities elsewhere,” the Regional Director noted.

Mr Zumakpeh called on the Director General to assist in finding a lasting solution to the problems and arrest the fallen standards of education in the region.

The Director General gave the assurance that he would work to address some of their concerns within his powers and called on the Managers to furnish him with situational reports of the challenges.

Prior to the forum, the Regional Director led the Director General on field visits including to the Talensi Directorate of Education, Zorko Senior High school and Zamse Senior High Sec/Tech.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Effective Supervision Can Reduce Teacher Absenteeism - Deputy Minister of Education

Mr Alex Kyeremeh, a Deputy Minister of Education, said effective supervision by circuit supervisors could help reduce teacher absenteeism in the country.

He said a performance evaluation conducted by the Ministry showed that the average national teacher absenteeism significantly reduced from 19 per cent during the 2013/2014 academic year, to 14 per cent during the first term of the 2014/2015 academic year due to effective supervision.

The Minister said this in a speech read for him at a forum organised by the National Inspectorate Board for directors of education, and municipal and district chief executives at Tarkwa.

Mr Kyeremeh said the performance evaluation report was based on data collected during the flash inspections conducted by the board in 1,465 public basic schools, comprising 799 primary and 666 junior high schools sampled from 163 districts countrywide.

He said the schools were selected by Simple Random Sampling technique through the use of the Table of Random Numbers.

He said some of the specific indicators used in the performance evaluation included teacher absenteeism, teacher preparedness, availability and use of core textbooks, effectiveness of Ghana Education Service circuit supervisors, and community participation in the schools.

On teacher preparedness, Mr Kyeremeh said for the purpose of the report, it was measured by whether or not the teachers prepared a scheme of work and lesson notes, under the supervision of head teachers.

He said during the 2013/2014 academic year, it was observed that 69 per cent of teachers in the Ashanti Region prepared their lesson notes while only 42 per cent of teachers in the Northern Region did so.

He said the huge percentage of teachers who did not prepare lesson notes in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions was due to the large number of “volunteer” and or untrained teachers in those regions.

Mr Kyeremeh said nationwide, only 55.7 per cent of the teachers in the selected schools prepared expanded scheme of lesson notes on the day the panel visited during the 2013/2014 as against 55.8 per cent for 2014/2015.

On the availability and use of textbooks in the core subjects of English Language, Mathematics and Science, calculated pupil-textbook ratio stood at five pupils per four textbooks, with the optimal ratio of one textbook is to one pupil yet to be achieved.

He said the major conclusion that could be drawn from the performance evaluation exercise was that the systems and procedures for quality learning had been well articulated.

Mr Kyeremeh said: "What appears to be missing is an adequate number of trained, competent and motivated system drivers and managers which include teachers, school heads, circuit supervisors, district directors of education and adequate resources".

The Acting Chief Inspector of Schools, Dr Augustine Twaiah, said children must have access to education and should not walk for three kilometres to attend school.

He called for closer working relationship between regional, municipal, and district education directors to enable the country to achieve its education targets.

Mrs Veronica Ama Jackson, the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipal Education Director, commended the Board for working hard to improve the standard of education in Ghana.

The National Inspectorate Board is an agency of the Ministry of Education, established under the 2008 Education Act (Act 778).

It is mandated to provide on periodic basis, an external evaluation of the performance of basic and second-cycle institutions in the country.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Education Minister expresses concern about extra classes

Accra, May 11, GNA - The Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, has expressed concern about rampant extra classes for pupils by teachers and head teachers in the country, saying the pupils did not need those classes.

She noted the time table for every term was structured to fit or cover the academic calendar, and as such the pupils did not need extra classes.

Speaking at the presentation of 14 buses to selected schools across the country on Monday, she urged teachers not to put pressure on the brains of their pupils, in the name of organizing extra classes, as the pupils as well as their brains had a limit as to what they could absorb.

She also appealed to teachers not to keep textbooks given to their schools from the pupils as it did not augur well for their academic development.

She wondered why some teachers would choose to keep books which had been handed over to their schools in their cupboards, instead of making them available to the pupils to enhance academic work.

She expressed her appreciation to the Chinese Government for the presentation of the 32 seater Zhongtong buses, and lauded it for its assistance to the IT Centre at the University of Ghana, and the continuous development of the University of Allied Sciences at Ho.

The beneficiary schools included Savelugu School for the Deaf, Kibi School for the Deaf, Sekondi School for the Deaf, Gbi Kledjo Special School at Ho and Navrongo Special School.

The rest were Mowere Secondary Technical in the Central Region, Salaga SHS, Toubodum SHS, Nyarkrom SHS, Aveyime Bator SHS, Yilo Krobo SHS, Garden City Special School, Tumu SHS and FIC St. Loius Educational Complex in Kumasi.

She pledged the readiness of government to continue with its good works at Teacher Training Colleges across the country to ensure quality education at the basic level.

She said the buses would enhance the movement of the students to field trips, excursions, social gatherings as well as boost the pride in their schools as the names of their schools would be boldly embossed on the buses.

Mr Lee Jian, Economic and Commercial Chancellor at the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, said China had continuously assisted Ghana since they entered into diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

He cited the giving of Chinese concessional loans, furniture to schools in the country, financial support against the fight against malaria, as some of the latest Chinese assistance to Ghana.

Mr Justice Kojo Frimpong, Headteacher of Mowere Secondary Technical School, on behalf of the beneficiary schools, expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Government for the buses.

He called for more assistance to the various departments of the schools, by equipping them with the needed facilities.

“We will be more grateful if more assistance would be channeled to the various practical departments of our schools, such as the vocational, the technical and our science departments,” he said.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Prempeh Old students refurbish assembly hall

Kumasi, 4 May, GNA - Old students of the Prempeh College (1989/91 Year Group) have refurbished the assembly hall of their alma-mater at a total cost of GH¢150,000.00.

The Osae Hall, which was in bad shape due to years of neglect, has been given a complete new outlook.

The handing over ceremony was timed to coincide with the official launch of the school’s 66th Anniversary speech and prize-giving day in Kumasi, at the weekend.

Mr Yaw Atuahene Nyarko, the Chairman of the Project Committee, said they were confident that the gesture would inspire others to also contribute their quota towards helping to improve the academic environment of the school.

He expressed discomfort with the situation where the school’s main entrance is literally blocked, following the reconstruction of the Kejetia-Abuakwa road into asphaltic concrete dual-carriageway.

Visitors and staff using cars cannot drive through the gate, he said, adding that, this must be corrected by the contractors to end the inconvenience.

Mr Charles Asare, the Managing Director of Ghana Airport Company Limited, also an alumnus of the College, praised the year group for the initiative and said it was refreshing that they had accepted to give back to the school the tremendous benefit gained from it.

Mr Franklin Asamoah, the Board Chairman, spoke of the need for all to work together to enforce discipline in the school to arrest the decline in academic performance.

He said everything should be done to restore the high academic standard, which has been its hallmark over the decades.

Mr Emmanuel Kwabena Yeboah, the Headmaster of the College, said steps have been taken to tackle the growing indiscipline among students.

Source: Ghana News Agency