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Hefty price tag on education infrastructure needs
The Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, told parliament that it would cost upwards of $200 million to provide necessary repairs to the 8,268 basic schools that are in “very deplorable state.” Furthermore, Opoku Prempeh said the efforts would first focus on the 20 schools that the MOE has identified as “emergency cases.” While he wouldn’t mention the emergency schools by name, he noted they are “ticking bombs ready to explode.” The MOE will present a proposal to parliament in hopes of receiving some of the emergency funding portion of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) budget.
Refugees receive schooling
An ambitious and noble project has gotten underway at the Ampain Camp in Western Ghana to provide education to refugees via distance learning. The Varkey Foundation Teach to Reach Remote Classrooms Project (TRC) is the first satellite enable live two way interactive distance learning program for kids living in a refugee camp. The Varkey Foundation connects about 225 children from the Ampain Camp to qualified teachers based out of Accra.
MOE: change your birth date, lose your job
Matthew Opoku Prempeh has declared that he will allow people to change their birth dates, but he will not allow them to continue on in their current position. The MOE decision is aimed at bucking the practice of education staff amending their birthdates to avoid hitting the compulsory retirement age. “Ghana has a huge youth burden. We must find employment for those. We can only do that when some of the elderly go on to retirement,” Opoku Prempeh stated.
MUSIGA wants music education back
The Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has started to lobby the government to reintroduce music education to the national curriculum. Interestingly, music education has not been a part of the education curriculum since before the June 4th Revolution of 1979. MUSIGA’s statement argument is twofold: 1) music education is additive for all students, encouraging creative thinking, and 2) as live music becomes more popular, there will be a growing demand for musicians.
Also…
The GES has reiterated a January directive to halt teacher transfers indefinitely.
MOE hints at government plans to create a Technical Education Service (TES). More to come… hopefully.
Ghanaians are asking for a set of guidelines to go with the distribution of free school uniforms to make sure the program is helping needy pupils in underprivileged areas.
Dr. Samuel Hayford suggests that school training should go beyond academics—school should develop children’s social and moral intelligence as well.
Congrats to the first graduates of the “Getenergy Field Ready” training program at the Takoradi Technical University.
Update on the 2017 National Science & Maths Quiz.