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Free SHS
President Akufo-Addo’s administration has apparently gotten the ball rolling on its plans to make the Senior High School (SHS) system free. According to a letter from the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the GES has charged all “regional directors to provide data on enrollment of all second cycle institutions… [which] will enable management [to] prepare adequately towards the implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy.” Still in very early stages, the request is an indicator that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has all intentions of making good on Akufo-Addo’s campaign promise.
But maybe not the first order of business
The Education Minister-nominee, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has stated that consolidating basic education is something the government hopes to pursue prior to making SHS free. He went on to say “We have to guarantee that the masses of our people will be of sufficient knowledge and value skill acquisition and technical ability before we probably, if the country can afford it, move towards those directions.” The remarks will likely be well received by many critics of the NPP free SHS policy who have repeatedly argued that the key to fixing Ghana’s education system is to focus on the quality of education not the cost of it.
CAMFED encourages GES to do more
The Ghana unit of Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) has been working together with the GES since 2008 to expand educational opportunities for girls. Recently, CAMFED has encouraged the GES to work to make sure that women make up at least 30 percent of the School Management Committees (SMCs). Furthermore, the report expressed hopes that women on the SMCs would actively participate in SMC meetings and decision-making processes.
Tip of the hat to SAVE-Ghana
Sustainable Aid through Voluntary Establishment (SAVE-Ghana), an NGO based in Tumu, generously donated eleven desktop computers and one laptop to the Upper West Regional Directorate of Education. The computers came with a price tag of 24,400 Ghana cedis and will be used to enhance monitoring and supervision of teachers. In one of areas of the country that struggles most heavily with teacher absenteeism, these computers will be quite helpful.
Literacy agency not impressed by GES
Literary experts are not impressed with the learning template used by the GES. Officials from Midstream Literacy Agency, an education support service provider, labeled the teaching methodologies as obsolete and old-fashioned. Midstream CEO Evans Owusu Amankwaa explained that these outdated methods necessarily produce mediocrity, as students lack a basic understanding of the English language.
Also…
Long opinion peace looking at, and providing suggestions for, how to improve the education system in Ghana.
The Head of the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC), unsurprisingly, claimed that establishing a rival exam body would lower educational standards.
The Lebanese community in Ghana is challenging the country to upgrade its law education system.
Somewhat interesting opinion piece talking about the necessity to update textbooks.
Article paints a picture—not a bright one—of life for a graduate teacher in Ghana.
More on the Airtel Connected Classroom project and its encouragement of STEM education.
President Akufo-Addo has placed members of the GES and the MOE on the 30-member committee to plan the celebration of Ghana’s 60th Independence Anniversary in March.
The University of Ghana’s Department of Computer Engineering has entered into a partnership with IT company LOTS Services Ghana.