Unimpressive literacy statistic
At an education workshop in the Northern Region, Giutele Nicoleau, Chief of Party-Ghana Learning, revealed that only 2% of Class Two (8 year-olds) pupils are able to read. The low literacy rate is largely attributed to the overwhelming class sizes, which causes students to have less access to classroom resources and teacher supervision. Luckily, the workshop at which Nicoleau was speaking is part of a USAID project aimed at training approximately 23,000 teachers.
NNED calls for fewer teacher transfers
The Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) is lobbying the GES to limit the transfer and change of schedule officers in project schools. NNED suggested a five year minimum term that teachers would need to satisfy before qualifying for a transfer. The Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions are generally thought to be the ones most in need of educational improvements, and NNED is of the opinion that greater teacher stability would be a step in the right direction.
Get teachers involved in salary conversation
Samuel Asante Anaafi, the Chairman of the West Akim Municipal branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), is arguing that teachers ought to be involved in any relevant salary or conditions of service conversations. And this all seems fairly straight-forward: the compensation process would be improved if stakeholders had a say in it. Even if employers choose not to act on information raised by employees, the empowerment that comes with representation would still be a positive in itself.
Road project to help student commuters
A road safety program is underway to ensure that children enjoy a safer commute to and from school each day. The program was launched by AMEND-Ghana, supported by the Puma Energy Foundation, and endorsed by the National Road Safety Commission and the Ghana Education Service (GES). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 6,700 people are killed on Ghana’s roads each year, and Jeffrey White, Executive Director of AMEND, stated that child pedestrians are among the most at risk. The project will include the funding of tangible (e.g., speedbumps) and intangible assets (e.g., training courses on how to commute more safely).
Also…
Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, calls for expanded access to legal education in Ghana.
Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) wants the government to take another look at its teacher licensing policy.
Retired educator, Stephen Teye Adjabeng, makes the case for doing away with online admissions for Colleges of Education.
Over 3,600 Northern Region children are being granted access to lower primary school.
The Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) is urging Ghanaians to take advantage of the French Learning in Accra.
Unfortunate reports of teachers were caught pounding fufu during teaching hours.