The La District Court has ordered a two-week remand for a final-year student from O’Reilly Senior High School, who has been charged with the murder of a classmate.
The court did not accept the student’s plea and has scheduled a return date for September 19, 2024, to allow further investigation by the police.
The incident, which occurred after a dispute over familial wealth, led to the death of Edward Borketey Sackey.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has urged against public speculation and called for patience as the investigative process unfolds.
In a statement issued on September 4, 2024, the GES expressed deep sorrow for the loss and extended condolences to Sackey’s family, friends, and the school community.
The Director General of GES, along with other officials, has visited both the school and the victim’s family to offer their support. “We will continue to support the school and assure the public that we are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation.
“We hope to conclude our administrative investigations within two weeks while the Police Service handles the criminal investigations. We are pleased to report that calm has been restored on the campus, and we are working to ensure the well-being and safety of all students and staff.”
The GES reassured the public that they are collaborating with relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation, with their own administrative review expected to conclude within two weeks.
They confirmed that calm has been restored at the school and emphasized their commitment to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for students and staff, while working to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
On June 18, 2024, two private security guards met a tragic end in Wa.
Separate incidents of brutality occurred at their respective posts: one at the Wa East office of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the other at the Wa Model Junior High School.
The incidents have stirred fear among residents, prompting calls for increased police presence to bolster town security.
These tragedies add to the grim toll, as eleven security guards were similarly killed in Wa during 2023, under circumstances that remain shrouded in mystery.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has voiced alarm at the growing prevalence of tattooing, multiple piercings, and skin bleaching among students, describing it as a “worrying trend.”
In addition, the GES has expressed serious concerns about teenage pregnancies and cohabitation, citing their negative impact on students’ academic endeavors, particularly young girls.
During visits to various districts in the Central Region as part of the ‘Life Skills Programme,’ Priscilla Christabel Eshun, the Central Regional Girls Education Officer of the GES, noted with surprise that some students had noticeable tattoos with unconventional names and meanings.
These observations were presented during the Second Quarter Sub-Implementing Partners (IPs) Review Meeting on sexual and gender-based violence, facilitated by the Regional Coordinating Council with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Eshun highlighted instances where students had excessively bleached their skin, leading to peeling and unpleasant odors.
“In one of the schools we visited, a young girl had bleached her skin to the point where it was peeling off and emitting an unpleasant smell. We also observed students with multiple piercings in their ears.
“This has become a fashion trend, and many girls are engaging in it without considering the potential health, employment, and other socio-economic consequences.”
She also mentioned the prevalence of multiple ear piercings among students, attributing these trends to fashion without considering the potential health and socio-economic consequences.
Furthermore, Eshun disclosed that many boys had dropped out of school and were operating tricycles, with investigations revealing that girls were associating with these boys for financial support.
“Regrettably, many girls are enticed into such relationships for financial gain, using the money to purchase sanitary pads and other personal items,” Eshun revealed.
Expressing regret over these developments, Eshun emphasized that the GES prohibits tattooing, multiple piercings, and skin bleaching according to its Code of Conduct for pre-tertiary school students.
“Students shall not wear chains, bangles, caps, or braces. Wearing of spectacles shall require a medical prescription.
“No alterations to school uniforms or dress shall be allowed. Possession or use of un-prescribed attire by a student is an offence,” Eshun explained.
She reiterated the importance of students dressing neatly, adhering to prescribed dress codes, avoiding accessories like chains and bracelets, and maintaining a decent haircut as defined by school authorities.
“Students should have a decent haircut as prescribed by the school authorities. Hair should be clean, neat, and modest, and avoid extremes in styles and colour. Men’s hair should be neatly struck and beard clean-shaven.”
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially rescheduled the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), shifting the examination period from August 5 to September 27.
This alteration deviates from the previously announced timeframe of July 1 to August 31, 2024.
Concurrently, the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) remains scheduled for July 8 to July 12.
In a circular dated March 12, 2024, addressed to regional directors, the acting Director of the Schools and Instructions Division of GES, Prince C. Agyemang-Duah, communicated the revised WASSCE date.
The communication emphasized the need for all senior high school (SHS) heads to acknowledge and prepare candidates accordingly for the updated examination period.
This new schedule supersedes the earlier one and aims to provide candidates with ample time for preparation.
While no official reason was provided for the date change, sources suggest it is to ensure candidates are adequately prepared for the examination.
Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), John Kapi, confirmed that Ghana would proceed with the Ghana Only Version of the WASSCE-SC due to the shift in dates.
This marks the third time Ghanaian candidates will sit for the WASSCE-SC exclusively, as other WAEC member countries—Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia—have reverted to their traditional May/June examination calendar post-COVID-19.
Mr Kapi clarified misconceptions surrounding the Ghana Only Version, emphasizing that it adheres to the same rigorous standards as the examination administered in other WAEC member countries.
The examination process, content compilation, and grading standards remain unchanged, ensuring parity with international standards.
Despite the adjustment in the examination schedule, Mr Kapi affirmed that WAEC remains committed to releasing results promptly to facilitate students’ transition to tertiary institutions.
“It is just that we have decided to push ours further so that our students are able to make time for it to be able to write and write it well,” he explained.
“We usually have a timetable after examinations.
So, obviously yes.
Yes, I believe so,” he added.
Additionally, he noted that registration for the WASSCE-SC commenced on March 11 and will conclude on April 19, 2024.
The Greater Accra Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has confirmed that schools will operate as scheduled on Thursday and Friday in the region. This decision comes after a revision to the previous announcement of shop, office, and school closures during the funeral ceremonies for the late Ga Manye Naa Dede Omardru III.
The revised decision, made on Tuesday, limits the closure of shops, schools, and offices to only Saturday. The GES has declared the initial decision by the Ga Traditional Council as null and void in a statement.
In a crucial move to restore the pre-COVID-19 academic timeline and enhance educational system stability, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has scheduled the reopening date for public basic schools for the 2023/2024 academic year for October 3rd, 2023.
The disruption caused by the global pandemic had necessitated adjustments to the academic calendar. However, with the situation gradually stabilizing, Ghana is taking a crucial step towards restoring its educational calendar to normalcy.
Currently, public basic schools are concluding their vacation period, with students, parents, and teachers eagerly anticipating the start of the new academic year.
Cassandra Twum-Ampofo, the Public Relations Officer of GES, explained the decision in an interview with the media she stated that, “We recognize the importance of re-establishing a familiar academic routine for our students and ensuring that they can continue their educational journey with minimal disruptions.”
Stakeholders in the education sector are optimistic that this development will create a stable learning environment, allowing students to concentrate on their studies and enabling teachers to deliver quality education.
As the nation prepares to usher in the 2023/2024 academic year, there is a sense of renewed hope and determination to overcome past challenges and provide Ghana’s youth with the quality education they deserve.
The Wenchi Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Bono Region has launched an inquiry into a concerning incident regarding a teacher at St.Paul’s Anglican Basic School.
Paul’s Anglican Basic School. It is alleged that the teacher compelled certain students to swear by a deity in order to prove their innocence concerning his missing phone.
The GES has taken note of these allegations and has made it clear that if the teacher is indeed found responsible for these actions, he will be subject to the appropriate consequences in accordance with the established code of conduct.
David Baffoe, the Public Relations Officer at the Wenchi Municipal Education Directorate, has affirmed the commitment of the directorate to thoroughly investigate the matter.
“We started the investigations…and we will continue today so that we can establish the facts on the whole matter so that we can communicate appropriately to the public. We are there to make sure that we get the truth from the matter, and if the teacher is found culpable, we will use the established code of conduct against him,” he stated.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has revised the reopening date for Senior Secondary High (SHS) form one students to Monday, September 25, 2023.
This adjustment follows recommendations made subsequent to the release of a new academic calendar encompassing basic schools and senior high schools by the GES.
Initially, the students were scheduled to resume classes on September 18.
However, in the most recent announcement signed by Prince Agyemang-Duah, the Acting Director of the Schools and Instruction Division, GES has stated, “Regional Directors of Education are kindly requested to disseminate this information to all Head of Senior High and Senior High Technical Schools, instructing parents/guardians and students to take note of the new date and prepare accordingly.”
Background:
On February 8, 2023, the Ghana Education Service (GES) unveiled the 2023 academic calendar applicable to all educational levels, including Kindergarten, Primary, Junior High, Senior High, and Senior Technical schools.
Dr. Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, the Deputy Director of GES in Charge of Quality and Access, issued this statement to all Regional Directors of Education.
The announcement specified that the Basic Education Certificate Examination for this year would commence in September 2023. According to the statement, the academic calendar for Kindergarten, Primary, and Junior High Schools (JHS) would be structured into trimesters.
The first term was set to run from January 10, 2023, to March 24, 2023, with a vacation period from March 25, 2023, to April 02, 2023. The second term was scheduled from April 03, 2023, to June 15, 2023, followed by a break from June 16, 2023, to June 26, 2023.
The third term would span from June 27, 2023, to September 14, 2023.
Regarding the 2023 Transitional Academic Calendar for Double Track Senior High Schools (SHS) for Form Threes, the first term was set to commence from January 10, 2023, to April 05, 2023.
A break was scheduled from April 06, 2023, to April 16, 2023, with the second term starting on April 17, 2023, and ending on June 01, 2023. Students would then have a break from June 02, 2023, to June 08, 2023, with the third term scheduled from June 09, 2023, to September 15, 2023.
For Form Twos in the same category, the first term would start from January 10, 2023, to February 17, 2023, with a break from February 18, 2023, to April 10, 2023.
The second term would commence from April 11, 2023, to June 01, 2023, with a break from June 02, 2023, to August 11, 2023, and the third term resuming from August 14, 2023, to November 30, 2023.
Similarly, Form Ones in the same category were slated to have their first term from February 20, 2023, to April 13, 2023, with a break from April 14, 2023, to June 08, 2023.
The second term would begin from June 09, 2023, to August 10, 2023, with another break from August 11, 2023, to September 17, 2023. The third term would follow from September 18, 2023, to November 30, 2023.
The statement also detailed the single-track academic calendar for Senior High Schools. Form Threes were set to begin their first term from January 10, 2023, to April 05, 2023, with a break from April 06, 2023, to April 16, 2023.
The second term would run from April 17, 2023, to June 01, 2023, with a break from June 02, 2023, to June 08, 2023. The third term was slated from June 09, 2023, to September 15, 2023.
Form Twos in the same category would have their first term from January 10, 2023, to April 05, 2023, with a break from April 06, 2023, to April 16, 2023. The second term was set to start from August 17, 2023, to August 25, 2023.
Form Ones in this category would also follow a two-term structure, with the first term commencing from February 20, 2023, to April 05, 2023, and a break from April 06, 2023, to April 16, 2023. The second term would begin from April 17, 2023, to September 15, 2023.
Results of the recent teachers’ promotional examination, administered by the Ghana Education Service (GES), have unveiled a 69% achievement rate for candidates who participated in the February test.
This implies that 31% of examinees fell short of meeting the necessary criteria for advancement.
From a total of 80,810 participants, 55,917 individuals have triumphed, securing their progression into higher educational leadership positions.
The examination acted as a gateway for those aspiring to roles such as Deputy Director, Assistant Director I, Assistant Director II, and Principal Superintendent within the Deputy Director grade.
GES conveyed that candidates will receive notification of their success or lack thereof via text message.
“A message will be sent to all candidates who sat for the exams to indicate whether successful or not. (Please note that, the promotion site will NOT be accessible this year) Formal promotion letters will be released in due course,” GES stated in a release.
“A message will be sent to all candidates who sat for the exams to indicate whether successful or not. (Please note that, the promotion site will NOT be accessible this year) Formal promotion letters will be released in due course.”
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has indicated that from Friday, August 18, it would commence the sensitization exercise on this year’s guidelines for school selection into Senior High Schools
The exercise will take place in all the respective Regional, District Education Directorates and schools.
In view of this, the general public, particularly parents, candidates, and teachers, have been encouraged to patronize.
“Parents and guardians are particularly advised to take keen interest in the selection of schools processes to ensure a smooth Placement this year,” a portion of the statement from the GES read.
The selection of schools is scheduled from 23rd August to 4th September 2023.
There will be an opportunity for candidates to text to a short code and confirm their school choices before actual placement is done.
Details of the short code will be made available in due course, according to the Head of the Public Relations Unit of the GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo.
Over 600,000 candidates sat for the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) that took place from August 7 to August 11, 2023.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced plans to sensitize candidates who recently took the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) on the procedures for selecting Senior High Schools. This informative session is scheduled for August 18, 2023.
The school selection process itself will occur from August 23 to September 4, 2023, across various regional, district education directorates, and schools.
In a statement signed by Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the Head of Public Relations Unit at GES, said “the management of Ghana Education Service (GES) wishes to inform the general public, particularly parents, candidates, and teachers, that the sensitization and education on this year’s guidelines for school selection into Senior High Schools will commence on Friday, August 18, 2023.”
She further emphasized, “This exercise will take place in all the respective Regional, District Education Directorates, and schools. Management further informs stakeholders that the selection of schools is scheduled from August 23 to September 4, 2023.”
As part of the process, candidates will have the opportunity to confirm their school preferences by texting a designated short code before the actual placement is finalized. The specific details of the shortcode will be communicated in due time.
The BECE, which began on Monday, August 7, concluded on Friday, August 11.
The Ghana Education Service (GES), has condemned a viral video where a student of Adisadel College is seen assaulting another, causing bleeding below the victim’s right eye after hitting his face against a metal bed.
Through its PR head, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the GES has labeled the incident a “barbaric act of violence” and emphasized its commitment to ensuring a safe learning environment for all students in Ghana.
PRESS RELEASE
VIRAL VIDEO OF VIOLENCE INVOLVING STUDENTS OF ADISADEL COLLEGE
The attention of the Management of Ghana Education Service has been drawn to a disturbing video of assault involving two students of Adisadel College being circulated on social media.
Management is deeply concerned and condemns this barbaric act of violence in our schools. We applaud the school authorities for taking swift action to suspend the culprit pending further investigation.
Management has directed the Regional Director of Education to liaise with the school authorities and the relevant law enforcement agency to investigate for appropriate action.
Ghana Education Service assures the general public that we are taking this matter very seriously and are committed to ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for all students across the country.
Amidst a controversial teaching career, Teacher Kwadwo, a well-known teacher and comedian, is once again making headlines.
He has recently stated his intention to cut his unique short dreadlocks and return to the classroom once his dispute with the Ghana Education Service (GES), which resulted in his termination, is resolved.
Despite his willingness to cut his distinctive short dreadlocks and return to teaching, Teacher Kwadwo remains firm in his decision not to apologize to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the dispute that led to his termination.
In a recent interview on Angel FM, Teacher Kwadwo stated, “Whether I have stopped teaching or not, I can’t tell right now, and also with the dreadlocks I have on my head, I can trim them and move on, so it’s not a big problem.”
Addressing the topic of apologizing to the GES, Teacher Kwadwo firmly expressed he was never going to do so because he did nothing wrong and only the guilty apologise.
“When you have done nothing wrong, you don’t need to apologize. But when I apologize, it means I am at fault and wrong in many ways, but I am not at fault,” he added.
It is crucial to note that Teacher Kwadwo’s teaching career in 2021 faced significant challenges as he was terminated by the Ghana Education Service due to allegations of insubordination and failure to fulfil professional responsibilities.
The GES accused him of refusing to prepare lesson plans, disregarding directives from superiors, and exhibiting a high level of insubordination.
However, Teacher Kwadwo countered these claims, asserting that he was being targeted for criticizing the GES and launched the #FixGES campaign to draw attention to issues within the education system.
He passionately advocated for positive change and highlighted the importance of addressing the shortcomings within the education sector.
Moreover, Teacher Kwadwo emphasized his personal investments in improving his school, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to providing quality education to his students.
These investments included resources and initiatives aimed at enhancing the learning experience and creating a conducive environment for academic growth.
In response to his dismissal, Teacher Kwadwo expressed his intention to take legal action, emphasizing that he had received permission for any missed class periods.
This decision reflects his determination to fight for what he believes is right and to seek justice in the face of what he perceives as an unjust termination.
The Director of Education for Kadjebi District, Seth Seyram Deh, has expressed concerns about the negative effects of teacher attrition on education delivery in the area.
According to him, out of the 99 trained teachers assigned to the district in 2022, 43 had already departed, leaving only 56 remaining.
As of June of the current year, a mere 17 teachers had been newly assigned to the district.
In an interview with the media, Mr. Deh disclosed that if this issue persisted, it could result in a repetition of the situation faced by the district in 2012 when classrooms were left without teachers.
The Human Resource Manager of the Kadjebi District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Nutifafa Agbozo, it was revealed that the district currently required approximately 1,010 teachers for basic education levels.
However, only 831 teachers were presently serving, leaving a shortfall of 179 teachers.
Mr. Agbozo attributed the high rate of teacher attrition in the district to the practice of assigning non-local teachers from outside the Volta and Oti Regions to the district. These teachers, unfamiliar with the geographical area, tended to return to their places of origin after only a few months of service in the district.
He emphasized the need for internal recruitment to address this problem effectively, appealing to the Ghana Education Service for immediate intervention to remedy the situation and ensure the district’s educational well-being.
Ghana Education Service(GES) has disclosed that plans are underway to roll out Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions across all Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) in Ghana.
This is targeted at strengthening teachers’ understanding and adherence to the National Teachers’ Standards (NTS) and getting them ready for the introduction of the new secondary education curriculum which will be rolled-out in the 2024/25 academic year.
A 100-member National Training Team made up of representatives of GES, T-TEL, Senior High Schools, and Colleges of Education have gone through a five-day training to ensure an effective institutionalization and roll-out of the PLC sessions in 726 schools.
According to GES “These weekly PLC sessions have been piloted by GES since 2022 in 12 SHS and SHTS using structured handbooks developed in partnership with the National Teaching Council (NTC)”.
The training was led by GES with support from Professor Jonathan Fletcher, Key Advisor for Teaching and Learning Partnerships at T-TEL.
“Through these sessions, we hope to support teachers to make learning enjoyable, recognising the individual differences of learners and helping them to develop themselves, regardless of their challenges in learning,” Professor Fletcher said.
These weekly PLC sessions, facilitated by trained teachers within each school is to ensure that all teachers are familiar with the National Teachers’ Standards (NTS) and are able to incorporate concepts related to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) in their classrooms.
Mr. Robin Todd, the Executive Director of T-TEL, has emphasised that the success or otherwise of the new secondary education curriculum hinges to a large extent on the effective implementation of weekly PLC sessions in schools with the support of the training teams.
The Ghana Library Authority’s (GLA) CEO, Hayford Siaw, has urged the Ministry of Education and theGhana Education Service (GES) to give the authority control over school libraries in the country.
Mr Siaw believes that the authority is well-positioned to support and operate many of these school libraries, ensuring their improved management and overall state.
Mr Siaw expressed confidence in the authority’s expertise to effectively handle and enhance the functionality of these facilities.
During an interview with the media on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, he made this appeal.
Currently, the authority boasts of a collection of approximately 1.4 million books and has expanded its library network from 61 to 118 branches across the country.
In addition, the authority has established a partnership with a Mobile Network Organization to provide internet services in all library facilities nationwide.
As one of the oldest public institutions in Ghana, the GLA utilizes innovation and technology to meet the evolving demands of education.
“Our commitment to innovation has resulted in 1.5 million library visits last year, and we have the aim to reach 2 million visits by the end of this year,” he revealed.
Mr Siaw further highlighted that the authority has renovated its mobile library vans to reach out to underserved areas, particularly cluster schools lacking proper library facilities.
In conclusion, the CEO of the Ghana Library Authority has called for the incorporation of school libraries into the authority’s management, citing their vision, expertise, and commitment to improving library services across the country.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service(GES), Dr. Eric Nkansah, has emphasized the need for a revised teaching approach due to the rapidly changing world.
That, he said, was to equip learners with the 21st-century skills needed to transform communities and the country as a whole.
Dr Nkansah explained that the Ghana Education Service (GES) was implementing the Standards Based Curriculum (SBC) for kindergarten, primary one and primary six pupils, as well as replacing the Objective Based Curriculum (OBC).
The Director-General made this known in his address at the 15th annual congregation of the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education at Kyebi in the Abuakwa South Municipality in the Eastern Region last Saturday.
The event was the theme, “Total recovery of Ghana’s economy hinges on education:
The role of the 21st-Century teacher”, during which 360 students passed out.
Out of the number, 17 had First Class, 181 Second Class Upper, 143 Second Class Lower and 19 passes. 21st-century skills
Dr Nkansah said the Ministry of Education was also implementing the Common Core Programme (CCP) curriculum at the Junior High School (JHS) level to equip learners with knowledge, abilities and attitudes with 21st century skills and competencies needed for further studies, field work and lifelong learning.
According to him, the government in 2012, therefore, launched the pre-tertiary teacher professional development and management policy to foster the development of world-class teachers to contribute to student’s learning and achievement.
Teaching approaches
That policy, the Director-General stated, provided the framework for development standards, core values and ethics for the teaching profession which also sought to develop teachers ability to adopt reflective teaching approaches to enhance the quality of lessons delivery in kindergarten, primary, JHS and second cycle institutions. College’s history
Giving a historical background of the college, the Principal, Rev. Dr Charles Fosu-Ayarkwah said the college was founded in 1963 with only six tutors and eight students under the management of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
He said currently, the educational institution, which was accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) of the Ministry of Education as a degree research institution affiliated to the University of Cape Coast, had a student population of 1,954. Negative attitudes
The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who also addressed the graduates, said it was unfortunate that negative attitudes of Ghanaians were serving as draw back to Ghana’s development.
He said it was ,therefore, necessary to adopt positive attitudes in all their undertakings rather than negative attitudes.
According to the Okyenhene, the college had made significant strides since it’s inception. 64-acres of land
He said the establishment of the college was made possible by the allocation of a 64-acres of land to the PCG by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council.
TheOkyenhenesaid with the assistance from the government, a number of facilities were provided to cater for the students and tutors.
He said over the last six years, the college had witnessed unprecedented infrastructure development with the construction of several edifices to serve the needs of the college.
According to the Okyenhene, that was in line with the government’s initiative to transform teacher training colleges to universities.
A Viral photo of Achimota School’s potential NSMQ team has caused social media buzzing.
Conspicuously visible among the students was Tyrone Marhguy, a young man who found himself at the center of a controversy that shook the education sector two years ago.
Tyrone was spotted in the social media post depicting Achimota School’s trial session ahead of the 2023 NSMQ season.
#AchimotaAt96 🎹 Last month, our @nsmqghana team participated in a Trial session as we prepare for the upcoming quiz season.
We encourage all members of our community to reach out to the team and help equip them for a successful season. pic.twitter.com/dyVTDMVoGR
He was one of two boys who cried foul because the school had denied them admission, citing their hairstyle as a violation of the school’s code of conduct.
The Rastafarian students dragged the Achimota School Board of Governors, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney General to court for refusing to enroll them. Achimota School insisted that they comply with the school’s regulations by shaving their dreadlocks.
On May 31, 2021, a High Court ruling directed the school to admit the students.
However, his colleague, Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, enrolled at Ghana International School on a scholarship.
In June 2021, following the court ruling, Tyrone Marhguy went to Achimota School and sat for his end-of-term examination just hours after being enrolled.
On the back of the latest development, social media users appear to be reeling over the possibility of this narrative developing into a ‘zero-to-hero’ story as the national quiz takes off soon.
This is not the first time Tyrone has been associated with the school’s NSMQ team.
He was also spotted among the team last year which sparked another conversation regarding his participation.
Find more reactions below:
Very progressive and a beautiful story. Tyrone, the “rasta student” who was nearly denied admission to Achimota School because of his hair. He’s now part of the #Nsmq team of the school. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZzqTUGtgMf— WhyAlwaysEQ (@WhyAlwaysEkow) June 2, 2023
The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for junior high school students is not going to be canceled, according to the Ghana Education Service (GES).
GES explained that it is moving from the old objectives-based curriculum to the standards-based curriculum, which is likely to change the nature and form of the BECE.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on the grading system by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Director General of GES, Dr. Eric Nkansah, said reports of the purported cancellation of the BECE are untrue.
“We are not cancelling the BECE. What is confusing people or some of our people is that we are now moving away from the old objectives-based curriculum to the standards-based curriculum, and it does not mean that those on the standards-based curriculum will not write BECE. They will also write but perhaps the nature and form may change. So please don’t communicate that we are not writing BECE.”
The Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) is conducted by WAEC and serves as a standard exam for junior high school graduates who are about to enter senior high school.
A textbook believed to be approved by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) for use by primary school students has sparked outrage among the public.
Ghanaians, especially parents are displeased over some claims in the book, which have been described as inaccurate.
In the book entitled History of Ghana for Basic Schools, authored by Francis Benjamin Appiah and Henry David Appiah, some negative impacts of Christianity have been highlighted.
The points listed include claims that Christianity has led to an increase in poverty in Ghana. Additionally, the book states that Religion is a major cause of physical conflict and doctrinal disputes in Ghana and the world as a whole.
The book also states that: “Christianity has led to an increase in poverty. There’s a direct link between religion and laziness which contributes to poverty in Ghana and Africa as a whole; Religion makes people lackadaisical in their attitude towards finding practical ways to improve their undesirable living conditions; Some religious doctrines brought by missionaries create a sense of fear or timidity in their adherence.”
Also, it states that: “Religion creates an avenue for many tricksters or charlatans to parade as men of God to please the poor with their meager resources; Most religious groups discriminate against women in so many ways; Many politicians in Ghana use religion as a vehicle to cause disaffection amongst people in a bid to advance their political interest.”
Experts from Eduwatch and the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) have raised concerns about the book’s approval by NaCCA.
Eduwatch’s Programmes Director, Divine Kpe opined that the section of the book in question may have been inserted to enable students generate ideas for debate on the effect of European missionaries in Ghana.
“When you look at the basic 4 curriculum for Religious and Moral Education, that particular objective for which the authors are writing is about the pupils debating the effect of Christian missionaries or European missionaries in Ghana, some of their effects.
“So it’s actually expected to be a debate that the pupils were to have. In doing so, I think the authors were trying to generate ideas that the people can raise in terms of their debate,” he said on the JoyNews channel.
He, however, contended that there were inaccuracies in some of the points, which breached some standard NaCCA guidelines given to publishers who submit their books for validation. This includes the criteria of accuracy, currency of the content matter, and relevance of the content to the curriculum.
Speaking on the same show, a Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Yaw Opoku Mensah clarified that the book in question was not the official one approved by the NaCCA.
He said that the approved version, according to NaCCA, does not contain that section in question.
However, another panelist on the show, Executive Director of IFEST, Dr Peter Anti called for the publishers of the said book to be blacklisted.
“There is a published document of about 66 pages that lists all the books that have been approved by NaCCA and this document is there. It’s on page 56, so this book is approved,” he stressed.
He also said appropriate punishment should be meted out to the publishers if, indeed, the book in circulation on the market was not the one that had been approved by NaCCA.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has decided to roll out of Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions across all Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTSs) nationwide.
According to GES, the initiative is aimed at strengthening teachers’ comprehension and adherence to the National Teachers’ Standards (NTS) while preparing them for the introduction of the new secondary education curriculum to be rolled-out in the 2024/25 academic year.
In January 2022, the Service piloted the use of PLC weekly sessions in 12 SHSs and SHTSs in using structured handbooks developed in partnership with the National Teaching Council (NTC).
A recent evaluation by the GES, found that the weekly sessions had a significant impact on improving teaching and learning in these 12 schools, providing a strong evidence-base for the national scale-up of this approach.
Ghana Education Service (GES) has initiated plans for a national roll out of Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions
To ensure the smooth institutionalisation of the PLC sessions across all schools, GES also organised a five-day training session for a 100-member National Training Team comprising representatives from GES, T-TEL, Senior High Schools, and Colleges of Education.
The training, which took place in Koforidua from Monday May 8 to Friday May 13 2023, focused on equipping the National Training Team with the necessary skills and resources to support teachers and officers across various regional and district education directorates to effectively implement PLCs in SHSs and SHTSs.
The sessions demonstrated how teachers can be supported and equipped with interactive and innovative approaches to make teaching and learning more engaging for students.
With a strong focus on leveraging technology and promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), the training also highlighted the importance of socio-emotional learning in the classroom.
All approaches used in the training were drawn from the National Teacher’s Standards (NTS), which sets out the values and attitudes, knowledge, and practices expected of all professional teachers in Ghana.
The head teacher of Benkum Senior High School (SHS) in the Eastern Region, Emmanuel Nyarko has been interdicted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Mr. Emmanuel Nyarko was directed to step aside for investigations following allegations of his sexual involvement with about 15 female students of the school.
Some teachers in the school who were reported to have engaged in a similar act cited his sexual misconduct after he attempted to facilitate their transfers to different schools.
Teachers who were queried as part of the probe mentioned the head teacher, leading to his interdiction.
The incident is reported to have happened last year [2022] and has been under investigation since.
Speaking to Citi News, a deputy spokesperson for the Education Ministry, Yaw Opoku Mensah, said the Ministry would keenly monitor the progress of the investigations.
“The investigation has started and the regional education outfit is in charge and the school has paved the way for investigations to start for the headmaster to give out the space or step aside for the committee to have the atmosphere to carry on with the investigations as per the code of conduct of GES.
“The Ministry is monitoring the development, and we urge the public to stay calm and help with the investigative process. And eventually, a report of the outcome of the investigations will be communicated to the GES in headquarters for other actions to be taken,” Yaw Opoku Mensah, deputy spokesperson for the Education Ministry noted.
The National Council of Private School Teachers has revealed that, some public basic schools are flouting the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) rules by registering final year private students for 2023 BECE.
The National Council of Private School Teachers, led by its Executive Director, Mr. Ackon James, visited some public schools that have been identified by private JHS heads as schools that have poached their final year students for the upcoming BECE in August.
The Ghana Education Service has indicated that it would deal with any school or head teacher found guilty of the offense.
The efforts of thePrivate Schools Teachers Association Councilled by the Executive Director of the association went to some public schools where students who had left prior to the completion of the BECE registration were found in JHS3 of the visited public schools.
Audio recordings of the interactions that ensued on the public premises of public schools and available to GhanaEducation.org proved that the students were in these schools. Some of the said learners were seen in the classrooms in the public schools visited and probably illegally registered for the BECE by the public schools visited.
The National Council of Private School Teachers leadership has directed that the students be released to go back to their mother schools to be registered for the 2023 BECE.
The Council has also taken steps to inform the GES and WAEC of the needed punitive measures to be taken against the public schools and their head teachers caught in the act.
The council will not hesitate to put out the names of the public schools and audio recordings of the conversations that confirmed the illegal practice should the said public schools and their head fail to comply with the directive
Registration of Private School Students for BECE by Heads of Public Schools is illegal yet, head teachers in public basic schools have continued to disregard the GES directive on the illegal act. Headteachers of public basic schools registering private school candidates may have been emboldened by the fact that the GES directive and the associated sanctions have become a yearly ritual by “a dog that barks but can’t bite”.
The registration of private school students by public schools goes a long way to negatively affect private schools that have toiled many years to prepare their candidates for the examination. When such students are registered by public schools and they excel, the public schools take the praise for no work done.
This illegal act must be criminalized and offending schools and leaders dealt with to put a stop to it instead of the lip service of the GES and WAEC in the matter.
The practice of Public JHS poaching and registering Private JHS final-year students has increased in the last few years due to strange failure rates suffered by private schools at the end of each BECE examination. Again, the government’s policy of school placement which places students in public schools ahead of their colleagues from private schools can be cited as being a contributing factor.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed concern over what it describes as unlawful interdiction of the headmaster of the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO).
GNAT has therefore asked the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately reinstate the interdicted headmaster of GHANASCO.
The Association says the interdiction was without merit as no investigation had been conducted into the issue at the time.
According to GNAT, the move by the GES has affected the confidence of the embattled headmaster, Mr Doughlas Haruna Yakubu.
GNAT General Secretary, Thomas Musah speaking in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on April 18, lambasted GES for taking such a decision.
“Why should you in a rush go and issue a statement interdicting the person, putting the person in the public for ridicule? Do you know you have humiliated the head? You have broken his confidence and that, you don’t handle professionals like that.
The matter should have been investigated. GES should do the needful by reinstating the man and let’s move forward, he came to meet the matter he didn’t create it,” he said.
The GES has stated that it is conducting a probe into a video on social media showing some students of the school using toilet cubicles as dormitories.
According to a statement issued dated April 16, the Regional Director of Education has asked both the head and senior housemaster to step aside for a thorough investigation.
“The Headmaster and the Senior Housemaster have been directed to step aside to allow for further investigations into the matter by the Regional Director of Education and report back in two weeks,” the statement signed by the Head of the Public Relations Unit, Cassandra Twum Ampofo disclosed.
It has thus sent a fact-finding delegation to probe and ascertain the truth or otherwise of the allegation.
Meanwhile, the headmaster, Mr Doughlas Haruna Yakubu has dispelled the video footage depicting students sleeping in toilet cubicles as trumped-up.
Mr Yakubu said the school has enough space to accommodate its students and thus there is no reason for students to be kept in toilet cubicles.
In his estimation, the footage was taken with malicious intent to cause public disaffection for the school.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dispatched a committee on a fact-finding expedition to the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale in order to confirm the accuracy of rumors that bathroom cubicles have been converted into a housing facility for students.
This comes after the Ghana Education Service (GES) asked the headmaster and senior housemaster of the school to step aside following a viral video which indicated that students are using converted toilet cubicles as a boys’ dormitory.
The Ghana Education Service’s delegation to the school on Monday morning which was made up of the Deputy Director General of GES,Stephen Kweku Owusu, the Acting Northern Regional Director of Education and others inspected the said Gbanzaba dormitory and the cubicles which were said to be toilet facilities and converted into accommodation.
The Deputy Director General of GES, Stephen Kwaku Owusu speaking to the media said findings of their mission will be made public after the Director General is briefed.
“GES’ management attention was drawn to a video circulating in the media, regarding the management of GHANASCO putting students in a toilet. And we decided that the regional director should come down here to verify the truth of the report. We have received a bit of the report, therefore we decided to come from GES headquarters to find things for ourselves”.
“In a way to corroborate with what is happening in the media or otherwise, that is why I’m here, detailed by the director general of GES to come to the school to find out how the situation is. So that management can make a final decision on this. I will get back to my director and report to him, we will get back to the media on the next line of action,” he said.
Some students have also been speaking to Citi News on the issue.
“The actual fact where they said is toilet is not actually toilet. There’s no feature indicating that it’s a toilet. No one sleeps there,” he stated
Meanwhile, old students of the school have expressed disappointment in the report, insisting that there are enough bed spaces for students in the school.
“We have more than enough space, accommodation for students isn’t a problem at all, let alone to force them to sleep on the floor of the toilet cubicles that were showcased to the whole public,” Alhaji Baba Yakubu, President of the school’s Old Students of Association said.
Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has admonished both parents and students who just gained admission to senior high schools not to wait till they satisfy all requirements on the prospectus before commencing class.
Rather, he admonished parents who may be struggling to make ends meet to send their wards to school and later fulfill the requirements on the prospectus.
According to him, parents should not worry so much about meeting all the requirements on the prospectus before enrolling their children.
“Parents of Ghana, if your child has not reported to school yet because you are waiting to get all the items on the prospectus, I want you to know that my head teachers want to see you in school immediately.
“So even if you don’t have all your items, go to school the head teachers can’t wait to see you and welcome you in their schools,” he said on Tuesday.
Dr Adutwum who was addressing the press on Tuesday also encouraged students to manage and the little that they were given by their parents, adding that “if you are determined, one day you will tell your story.”
After a 30 percent raise in the Single Spine Salary Structurefor public sector employees, teachers and staff at the Ghana Education Service (GES) have seen a boost in their basic salary.
This increment took effect from January 1, 2023, and also includes a 15 percent market premium which the government has also agreed to for all teachers and other public sector workers.
The 30 percent is the biggest increment organised labour has secured out of negotiations with the government since 2010 when the government increased the base pay by 20 percent and again by the same margin in 2011.
Since the current administration came to power in 2017, the highest increment has been 12 percent, which was secured in 2017.
The latest increment means the lowest-paid teacher takes home a net salary of GH¢434.01 while the highest-paid teacher takes home a net salary of GH¢8,271.95.
Social Media users have criticised the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Gushegu Districtfor making a student travel 428km to receive Ghc200 award.
Abdul-Latif Fawei who was adjudged the 2022 best student in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the Gushegu district, had to travel 306,4 kilomtres from Wa to Tamale and another 122kilometres to the Gushegu at the invitation of authorities for the award.
The shock has however been the fact that only Ghc200 was concealed in the envelope presented to the awardee and a former student of Gushiegu Senior High school.
Narrating his frustration to the media, he revealed “I went to Gushegu on the 6th March day that was yesterday for the award as best WASSCE student of Gushegu SHS. I was presented with an envelope (containing 200 ghc) by the education director”
Angry social media reactions have greeted the conduct of theEducationDirectorate who took Ghc43,515.00 from the Member of Parliament(MP) from the area in organising the event which coincided with the 66th Independence Day Celebration.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Constituency has denied his involvement in the award of GHc200to the Best WASSCE student in the Gushegu district.
In a release signed by the Gushegu NPP Communication Officer officer, Mohammed Imoro revealed that the MP bore the whole budget of GHC 43,515.00 the District Assembly had presented him as cost of the whole celebration, stressing that the MP had no knowledge that 200 Cedis was going to be awarded to the best 2022 WASSCE student.
A former director general of theGhana Education Service(GES), Charles Aheto Tsegah, has urged the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to switch back to the previous calendar system for second-cycle schools.
In a gbconline.com report, he argued that the new calendar is confusing and disjointed and does not benefit students.
Mr. Aheto-Tsegah called on the two education management institutions to find ways to make students have more contact hours in order to cover the curriculum.
He stated that the current system, which has shortened the academic year, is not conducive to effective learning and does not give students enough time to cover the necessary content.
Mr. Aheto-Tsegah also noted that the new calendar system is causing disruptions in the academic calendar, as some schools are starting at different times and students are missing out on important instructional time.
He suggested that a return to the old calendar system, which had a systematic and comprehensive approach, would be beneficial for both students and teachers.
The former GES Director General emphasized the need for students to have more instructional time to effectively cover the curriculum and acquire the necessary skills and knowledge.
He urged the Ministry of Education and the GES to consider this when making decisions about the academic calendar.
A former director-general of the Ghana Education Service(GES), Charles Aheto-Tsegah, has advocated for the closure of schools in the Bawku municipality due to the ongoing chieftaincy disputes in the region.
He made the call on the back of reports that students offered admission to schools in Bawku have turned down the offer.
Sharing his thoughts on the report, the former educationist said the time has come for the government and educational authorities in the area to take drastic and lasting measures to ensure the situation is resolved once and for all.
Making the suggestion to Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr. Aheto-Tsegah said “no one can tell to what extent the conflict will go, and it has put peoples’ children in danger, so it is better the authorities ensure adequate security measures are put in place to ensure the safety of these students.”
Asked what he thinks of convincing students of schools in the area to report to campus and putting some security measures in place, Mr. Aheto-Tsegah intimated that “the system shouldn’t force students to go to the place because we don’t know when hooligans will enter there and do anything to the students and authorities in the schools.”
“This a good opportunity for the government to close down the schools inBawkuand redistribute the students into other schools so that they can continue their education,” he stressed.
The Free SHS Secretariat in the Upper East Region disclosed the disturbing situation during a media interaction and said the Secretariat was working on providing counselling services for students that were placed in schools in the area.
She said the Category ‘A’ and ‘B’ schools were filled and had no space, hence, all students who were placed in Category ‘C’ ‘D,’ Technical, Vocational, Engineering Teaching (TVET) schools must accept and enrol.
The Categories ‘A, B, C, and D’ are used by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to place students from the Junior High School (JHS) into the SHS and the Technical/ Vocational Institutes (TVIs).
A Category ‘A’ Secondary school is regarded as the best in the country, followed by B, C, and D, and often has the highest grades, best academic achievements, and adequate facilities.
Nana Mensah made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday as the Centre opened to receive complaints of parents and students during the Computerised School Selection Placement (CSSPS).
The Deputy Coordinator said the majority of the issues that the centre received on 15th and 16th February 2023 were resolved, however, some of the complainants had returned for replacement.
‘‘Nothing could be done about it, they would have to accept and go to the school,’’ she stated.
Nana Mensah said they would not condone those with the kind of issues to change schools to prevent the middlemen from taking advantage of the situation to dupe people.
The issues received at the Centre include students who have not been placed in a school, those who want a change of school, change of status, re-entry into SHS and Gender issues.
The Deputy Coordinator said a total of 4,432 placement issues were received last week on Thursday and Friday with 2,152 change of school issues, six Gender issues and 51 re-entries.
She said there were 119 and 502 students who were interested in Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and TVET, respectively.
The Deputy Coordinator said the centre would be open for six weeks to receive school placement issues.
Master Kelvin Opoku-Antwi, a student, who had an issue with the distance from his residence to the school he was placed, said his issue had been resolved as expected after he reported to the Centre last Thursday.
Miss Florence Lamptey, who had an aggregate 13, said she performed well but did not understand the reason for her placement in another school instead of Yaa Asantewaa SHS, her first-choice school.
Meanwhile, her sister, Miss Bernice Lamptey, with aggregate 11, said she was placed in Yaa Asantewaa, also her first choice but was offered Home Economics instead of science.
Miss Mariay Nuhu, placed in GHANATA in the northern part of the country, said her father did not want her to attend a boarding school but one that was in Accra.
Another student said her mother refused to support her because of the distance from her residence to the school in the Oti Region, therefore she followed her friend to the centre, to change her school.
The GNAT Hall inAccra is crowded with parents and students who took the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2022 to get placement.
The center was set up by the Ghana Education Service(GES) to help with both self-placement and replacement of students in available schools in all categories, excerpt category ‘A’ schools.
According to the GES, “Out of the 547,329 candidates who sat for the examination, 538,399 qualified for school placement. out of these, 372,780 candidates have automatically been placed into various schools.”
This leaves a total of “165,601 candidates who will have to do self-placement because they could not be matched to their school of choice.”
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews, the Deputy Coordinator for Free SHS, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah said “the exercise is going to run for six weeks.”
“We are doing the placement into secondary schools, TVET schools and the new STEM schools” she added.
According to one parent, Meshach Fred Mintah, her daughter who got aggregate 9 could not get placement into her first choice school, Holy Child SHS.
“She was rather offered her 4th choice Suhum SHS. She has worked hard so I want a better school for her to study General science.”
Meanwhile, another parent who got a boarding school for his child said, he wants a Day School for her instead.
Reacting to the activities of middlemen, Nana Afrah Mensah warned parents against dealing with such persons.
“The only accredited people you can approach are the people wearing tags. If you are a parent and anyone approach to take money from you and place you in any school, report them to us ” she warned.
The GES has also set up help centers in all 16 regional offices to assist with placement issues across the country.
The ranking member of the Parliament’s education committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, has urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to postpone the February 20 reporting deadline for freshmen entering Senior High Schools.
The Akatsi North lawmaker argued that parents will be financially stressed should the government decide to go ahead with such a short reporting notice for freshers considering that the GES is yet to release the school placements for the 2022 BECE graduates.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe said the February 20 date is further going to disrupt the already stressed academic calendar which the GES is trying to rectify by bringing it back to the usual September to July period from the current January to December.
“It is going to affect the calendar because even February 20 is not feasible, and I am of the view that the reopening date should be on March 1.”
He said the prospectus of students varies with respective schools and so ample time should be given to enable parents the time to raise the necessary funds to buy them.
“What you will buy and need to take to the school depends on the school the student will be attending, and I will advise that time should be given to give parents some relief.”
He also urged the government to take measures to resolve the accommodation challenges confronting senior high schools across the country so the double-track system can be abolished.
“Every year, numbers increase, so it should be the priority of authorities to plan ahead and complete all projects on our various school campuses. We should give GETFund enough funds to complete all these uncompleted projects to eliminate the double-track system.”
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe was commenting on the decision of the Ghana Education Service to return to the old academic calendar which was adjusted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The projects are an early childhood development centre for Zuarungu-Moshie at a cost of GH 287,000 sponsored by the Northern Development Authority and a health centre with a mechanised borehole built at a cost of GH 418,024.00 supported by the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) (NDA).
The other project is a three-unit classroom block with auxiliary amenities and furniture for the Dubila community basic school that is also supported by the NDA at a cost of GH450,000.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the end of separate handover ceremonies, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bolgatanga East, David Akolgo Amoah, said he was highly elated that the projects which were dear to his heart had been completed and handed over for use.
He stated that the projects would go a long way to improve healthcare delivery and education in the beneficiary communities, adding, “I admit that the schoolchildren obviously needed and deserved a better place to study to realise their aspirations.”
He noted that it was unacceptable for schoolchildren to be allowed to study in unfriendly academic environments, noting, “the government at all times will ensure that the right academic environment is provided to enhance teaching and learning.
“These school buildings can be compared to others in big cities and towns in the country, as they would offer a conducive learning environment for the beneficiary school pupils to study to become useful to the society in future.”
Other projects
While commending the contractor and the NDA for a good work done, he appealed to the NDA to as a matter of urgency, take steps towards the completion of two other school projects it was funding so they served their intended purposes.
“I wish to appeal to the NDA to see to the completion of a kindergarten classroom block at Dulungu and a junior high school block at Kantia, which are currently at various stages of completion,” he said.
“As an assembly, we will ensure that all stalled classroom block projects are completed towards the provision of dignified education to the school pupils for the ultimate benefit of the country,” the DCE said.
He noted that the health facility would enable health workers to provide quality healthcare services to residents within the centre’s operational areas, stressing, “this centre will deal timeously with medical conditions of the people, in a bid to improve their health needs.”
Other speakers
The District Director of Health Services, Alhassan Lawal, said the old building was not conducive for the provision of health care to the residents and indicated that his outfit would explore the possibility of having a laboratory service and consulting room in the facility.
He said “with this new facility, staff will not have any excuse not to stay in the community to render services to the people,” stressing “I want to assure the management of the district assembly that the facility will be put to good use to provide quality services to the people in the community and its environs.”
A deputy director in charge of planning at the district directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Thomas Adiyuure Azuliya, expressed gratitude to the NDA and the district for facilitating the construction of the classroom blocks.
He gave an assurance that the GES would ensure judicious use of the projects and appealed to the NDA to pursue the contractor executing the Kantia JHS classroom block to complete the facility, since the school pupils were currently studying under a tree.
A community elder in Zuarungu-Moshie, Adobire Azure, in a remark, lauded the government for the projects and pledged the community’s support towards the maintenance of the projects.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the transitional academic calendar for basic, junior and senior high schools across the country for the year 2023.
According to the calendar, first-year SHS students in double-track schools are expected to report to school on Monday, 20 February 2023, and vacate on Thursday, 13 April 2023.
From Friday, 14 April to Thursday, 8 June, form-one students in double-track schools will be on break and resume on Friday, 9 June to Thursday, 10 August.
From Thursday, 11 August to Sunday, 17 September 2023, such students will go on break again and resume on Monday, 18 September.
The 2023 academic year ends for first- and second-year SHS students running the double-track system on Thursday, 30 November 2023.
The academic year for SHS 3 students, however, ends on Friday, 15 September 2023, by which time they would have written their West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
For single-track schools, Form One students are expected to report to school on Monday, 20 February 2023, and vacate on Wednesday, 5 April 2023.
Form-one students will resume for the second semester from Monday, 17 April to Friday, 15 September 2023, when the 2023 academic year ends.
The academic year for Form 2 students in single-track schools ends on Friday, 25 August 2023.
Basic and junior high schools across the country are expected to finish their first term, which is currently ongoing, by Friday, 24 March 2023.
The second term will begin from Monday, 3 April to Thursday, 15 June 2023.
The third term will begin on Tuesday, 27 June 2023 and end on Thursday, 14 September 2023.
The Sunyani Municipal Education Directorate of the Ghana Education Service says it has placed under investigation the headmistress of Nyamaa Basic School for allegedly charging GH¢1,000 as admission fees from students.
According to a report by Dailyguidenetwork.com, the Sunyani Municipal Director of Education, Mark Godfred Domah, has confirmed the development.
According to Mr Domah, a report on the headmistress has been forwarded to the headquarters on the direction of the Ghana Education Service, while a three-member committee has been instituted to investigate the matter.
The members of the committee include the Public Relations Officer of the directorate, the Community Participation Director and the Basic Education Director of the Directorate.
The terms of reference of the committee include to establish and confirm otherwise of the allegation, to establish to what extent the practice has been going on at the Nyamaa Basic School and other basic schools in the municipality, and how many schools are involved in the practice and range of money charged from the students or parents.
The committee is also mandated to establish other relevant information that will help stop the canker going forward as well as make recommendations.
The municipal director noted that the directorate has in the interim met with the various school heads in the municipality including, regional unit heads, Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Islamic, SDA among others to advise them to strictly follow laid down regulations of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education as enshrined in policy document and code of ethics.
Participants of the meeting also included representatives from the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Municipal Chief Executive of Sunyani and a representative from the regional directorate of the GES. “We are really on our guard. I always advise the heads that under no circumstances should they attempt to run public schools like a private school. We are implementors of national approved policy and anything beyond that is unacceptable and retards progress,” he cautioned.
Mr Domah further noted that there had already been some allegations of heads selling textbooks.
He emphasised that his outfit has started an investigation to establish whether the allegations were true, and to take appropriate action.
“We have code of conduct and we are going to follow due process and apply appropriate sanctions if the allegation is found out to be true. The MCE is mad about it. Nobody is happy about it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the three-member committee is expected to submit its report including recommendations within the week for further action.
The Constitution of Ghana under what is known as the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy mandates the government to provide basic education at no cost.
Despite its inception in 1995, the policy was implemented in 2005 under the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufour.
The policy, among other things, is aimed at expanding and promoting quality basic education.
Four Teacher Unions are accusing government of defaulting in the payment of contributions to the Ghana Education Service (GES) Occupational Pension Scheme (Tier 2).
The unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Teachers’ and Educational Workers Union (TEWU).
The unions say although government deducts these contributions every month from their salaries, it is in arrears of over GH¢400 million as payment has not been made since the last payment in March 2022.
The General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Dankyira Korankye, speaking to Citi News on behalf of the four unions, complained that, “We have written several letters to the regulator, that they should ensure that the employer pays the contributions as soon as it’s deducted. Unfortunately, the regulator appears helpless, that is why we have to quickly issue this statement.”
“If the regulator is failing to do its work, then as a first step, we are saying their allowances or fee due them must also not be paid. If they are not being paid their fee, then I think they will be compelled to tell government to pay the ordinary employee their due pensions”.
Some students of Krobea Asante Technical Vocational School in the Sekyere East District of the Ashanti Region have rendered an apology to their tutors and the public for vandalizing school properties.
The students have pleaded with the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to allow them back to school.
The school was shut down temporarily by REGSEC after students went on rampage on Sunday destroying school properties including six vehicles.
The students caused a power outage and broke into the storerooms of the school and scattered food items.
The students have since been sent home with authorities finding solutions to the problem
Speaking to OTEC News Jacob Agyenim Boateng, on January 24, 2023, some female students of the school said they were worried the situation may affect their future.
While condemning the acts of their male colleagues, the students have appealed to authorities in the region to help re-open the facility for them to continue their education.
“Like any unqualified apology, the first step is to acknowledge that you were wrong. Then all you have to do is look in that person’s face and say we are truly sorry for what happened and we hope our teachers and the public will forgive us”.
“We would like to render an unqualified apology to all especially our tutors for the inconveniences caused by the excesses of the protest that resulted in the destruction of school properties and the consequential closure of the school”.
“We are grateful to all relevant stakeholders for the steps taken already to restore calm in the school, but we are still pleading with them to save our educational career,” they added.
The students have pleaded with the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to allow them back to school.
The school was shut down temporarily by REGSEC after students went on rampage on Sunday destroying school properties including six vehicles.
The students caused a power outage and broke into the storerooms of the school and scattered food items.
The students have since been sent home with authorities finding solutions to the problem
Speaking to OTEC News Jacob Agyenim Boateng, on January 24, 2023, some female students of the school said they were worried the situation may affect their future.
While condemning the acts of their male colleagues, the students have appealed to authorities in the region to help re-open the facility for them to continue their education.
“Like any unqualified apology, the first step is to acknowledge that you were wrong. Then all you have to do is look in that person’s face and say we are truly sorry for what happened and we hope our teachers and the public will forgive us”.
“We would like to render an unqualified apology to all especially our tutors for the inconveniences caused by the excesses of the protest that resulted in the destruction of school properties and the consequential closure of the school”.
“We are grateful to all relevant stakeholders for the steps taken already to restore calm in the school, but we are still pleading with them to save our educational career,” they added.
Parents whose children attend senior high schools in the area have been urged by the Savannah regional education directorate to make sure their children show up for class.
The call by the directorate has become necessary because three weeks after reopening schools, most students are yet to report.
The Savannah regional director of the Ghana Education Service, Hajia Katumi Natogmah Atta who made the appeal through Citi News said the situation is very worrying.
Hajia Katumi reminded parents that the timetable will not change for Senior High Schools in the Savannah Region.
“I am appealing to parents in the Savannah Region to allow our students to come to school. We have reopened and as of Friday the attendance wasn’t encouraging. So I want to tell parents that we have reopened, and we are prepared to teach, so parents should allow their children to come to school.
“The academic calendar will not change for Savannah. The time they write WASSCE will be the same time that students in Savannah will also write WASSCE…so if they don’t come it will be difficult for the teachers to cover the syllabus.”
The ranking member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe, has suggested to the Disciplinary Committee of the Chiana Senior High School (SHS) to consider suspension as a better option for the eight students.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) in a statement on January 13, 2023, made U-turn and referred the dismissed eight students of the school to the committee after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo intervened.
Eight students of the school were dismissed for using some unprintable words against the President in a viral video in 2022 following the hardships in the country.
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe believes a suspension will serve as a deterrent to other students, warning that the Minority will not come in next time a student misbehaves in any of the schools in the country.
Speaking on the Eyewitness News with Selorm Adonoo, the ranking member on the Education Committee of Parliament suggested, “If I were in the shoes of the school’s authorities, I think suspension will be a better option for these students. Once they are suspended, its in their records. And they will know that next time if any student misbehaves just like them, that student will not go scot-free. Suspension I think will serve as a deterrent to others”.
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe expressed his appreciation to the President for listening to the Minority caucus in Parliament as well as Ghanaians by intervening.
“I appreciate the President’s intervention to mitigate the punishment given out to the eight students of Chiana SHS. This is because the minority thought the punishment was too harsh. Punishment is meant to correct so if you want to punish somebody, correct or reform the person, there are opportunities to reform these students because we don’t know what they will become in future. So I want to thank the President for listening to us [Minority] and all other Ghanaians who believed the punishment was too harsh,” Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe thanked the President.
He said if the students were earlier suspended by the school, there wouldn’t have been a public outcry for the President to intervene.
“If the students were suspended, this cry for the students wouldn’t have come in at all,” he stated.
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe commended the GES for referring the matter to the school’s disciplinary committee.
“What the GES has done I think is also proper by referring the matter back to the school,” the ranking member on the Education Committee of Parliament remarked.
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) says most Senior High Schools across the country are yet to receive any food items or funds from either the Ghana Education Service or the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
The Conference which consists largely of headteachers across the country says the perennial disbursement challenges are putting a strain on their reopening activities as it is difficult to take in students with no food items to feed them.
President of the Conference who is also the headmaster of Opoku Ware School, Rev. Fr. Stephen Owusu Sekyere said they are expecting government to release their allocated funds to ensure that the reopening date is not postponed due to food shortages.
Father Owusu Sekyere told Citi News that the government defaulted on its promise to release the funds into their respective bank accounts by 9 am on January 10.
“We were promised that we should go to the bank in the morning at 9 am and that the money will be deposited into our accounts but as we speak, we keep checking our accounts and no school has received any money from their bank.”
The CHASS president said the government is also yet to supply the various schools with their food quotas in anticipation of the new academic year.
“I am having reports from some schools across the country that they are yet to receive food items. We’ve been in touch with Buffer Stock, and they say they are supplying the schools with some four food items, but my information tells me otherwise.”
The president stressed that all hopes have diminished and all they can do at the moment is to hope that the government heeds to their concerns.
“Students keep reporting, and we don’t know what to do at this point so all we can do at the moment is keep waiting for the monies to be released. We don’t have power over what happens or when the food items are supplied.”
Dr. Eric Nkansah, who had been serving as the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) acting Director General, has been appointed to the position officially.
All official communications and memoranda are to be addressed as such, according to a letter sent to all GES regional directors on January 4 and signed by the GES’s director of human resources, Angela Frimpomaa Nkansah.
“Congratulations to Dr. Nkansah, Director-General, Ghana Education Service” the letter noted.
He was the Technical Advisor/Director in charge of Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education before his appointment.
His appointment became effective on October 19, 2022, after the President terminated Prof. Kwasi Opoku-secondment Amankwa’s agreement and requested that he return to his prior position at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Many teacher unions objected to Dr. Eric Nkansah’s appointment on the grounds that he is not a teacher and urged the government to revoke it.
At one point, the unions threatened to go on strike if the government didn’t revoke Dr. Nkansah’s appointment.
Over the past 13 years, Dr. Eric Nkansah has devotedly worked as a banker, professor, researcher, and financial consultant. He was a Senior Lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University’s Department of Banking Technology and Finance.
He joined the university in 2012 and has since made a substantial contribution to its growth (in the areas of teaching, research, program creation, etc.). He worked as the Sales Manager at the Krofrom Branch of Barclays Bank of Ghana (now Absa) for more than five years before attending the university.
As 2022 comes to an end with all the difficulties that the country has gone through, the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum remains the brightest spot in this administration and therefore, is worthy of praise and recognition.
The minister has not only exceeded the expectations of many Ghanaians, especially at the policy level but also distinguished himself as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the people of Bosomtwe.
His elevation as the substantive minister in 2021 has brought a lot of innovative and transformative interventions in the education sector, creating opportunities for thousands of Ghanaian children to climb the academic ladder without difficulties.
Today, Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) which hitherto, was merely considered an option for the academically weak, has become attractive; thanks to the leadership of Dr. Adutwum.
Even more intriguing, is the fact that students who offer technical courses, as well as visual arts in senior high Schools (SHS), have a window of opportunity to pursue engineering courses at the tertiary level.
This intervention which forms part of strategies to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has been touted as one of the best initiatives ever introduced in the sector.
Prior to his appointment as the substantive minister, Dr. Adutwum was seen as the brain behind the free Senior High School Policy which remains the flagship policy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Aside being one of the outstanding ministers under this administration, Dr. Adutwum has also been hailed by his constituents for supporting the poor within the constituency to access tertiary education.
Dr. Adutwum recently won the heart of many Ghanaian teachers when it was announced that transfer and car maintenance allowances of Ghana Education Service (GES) that have been in arrears are to be paid to the staff members concerned.
His ambition to produce hundreds of engineers for Bosomtwe in the next few years has impacted many families whose wards would have stayed home but for the intervention of Dr. Adutwum.
In the last two years, Dr. Adutwum has personally paid for tuition, hostel fees and pocket monies of hundreds of students from Bosomtwe studying engineering and science related courses in various public universities.
The minister is also taking steps to build hostels in some of the universities to accommodate students from Bosomtwe.
Beyond his ministerial and parliamentary exploits, he has always represented Ghana on the world stage during international conferences with exquisite delivery.
Early this year, he received international applauds when he bluntly spoke about how Africa’s education system trains children to be timid rather than being assertive and confident.
Even as Ghana grapples with the current economic challenges, Dr. Adutwum is one minister that the country can be proud of.
The writer, Michael Sarfo is a Youth Activist University of Huddersfield, UK.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been asked to facilitate breast cancer education at the primary school level across the country.
Through this, according to a consultant surgeon, the children will be given the right information as they grow to shape their mindsets about the disease.
The President of Breast Care International (BCI) Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who made the appeal said that will be the level to get their full attention.
Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai said this during a breast cancer education and screening at Aputuogya in the Bosomtwe district of the Ashanti region, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
The exercise brought together female pupils from Esereso D/A Basic School, Feyiase D/A JHS, Aputuogya D/A Primary and Abuontem R/C Basic School.
She suggested that the Girl Child Sections at the various schools, Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service should take up the matter as a serious issue where breast cancer education will be at the national level.
“Breast cancer education should be started at the primary school level where we can get their full attention. Their mindsets are now being sharpened so we need to be there to give the right information so that it will help them while they growing,” she said.
Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospital continues that “they will, in turn, educate their mothers and family members, especially about the myth that the disease is caused by witchcraft and therefore should be treated spiritually”.
She posited that when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, it also affects the children; psychologically, emotionally and their future “so it’s not only women’s health problem but societal and developmental problems that need urgent attention”.
Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe advised the children to report to their parents if they find any unusual thing in the breasts so that action will be taken immediately to avert serious consequences.
They were also educated to cultivate the habit of examining their breasts either by Breast-Self Education BSE or by clinical screening at health facilities.
The Educational Sustainability Project and Mentorship Programme Award honors the “Each-One, Teach-One initiatives for the exceptional contribution to empowering young Ghanaian students” and UBA’s outstanding “National Essay Competition” initiative, which harnesses creativity, fosters critical thinking, and enhances writing skills among young people.
Chris Ofikulu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at UBA Ghana stated “We are inspired to make a meaning impact through various initiatives we under our Education and Empowerment Social Investment’s pillars and we are honored to receive this award from this reputable entity.”
“UBA is proud to drive a positive impact in education with the National Essay Competition. Undoubtedly, the successes we have chalked and the achievements yet to come could not have been possible without the support of our stakeholders especially Ghana Education Service and the residents’ judges whose participation has helped us to be recognised nationally and beyond.”
“It is also fulfilling to see that our commitment to raising a new generation of entrepreneurs through the Each-One, Teach-One that imbibes critical skills within the youth of the country in our believes that the private sector holds the key to unlocking Ghana’s potential.”
The annual Sustainability and Social Investment (SSI)Awards honours organizations across the country that demonstrates outstanding leadership and commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.
UBA Ghana has received awards three years in a role for our strong sustainability efforts and the impact we make among the Ghanaian youth particularly in the area of education.
Delays in the promotion of teachers will soon be a thing
of the past, as the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has
charged the new Director General of the Ghana Education Service,
Dr. Eric Nkansah, to immediately take proactive measures aimed at
addressing challenges associated with the promotion of teachers.
It is no secret that the promotion of teachers has been a major concern for many stakeholders in the past few years.
Teachers continue to complain over the development which does not only stall their career progression, but also affect their livelihoods.
Following these concerns, the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei
Adutwum, has tasked Dr Nkansah to see to it that measures are
implemented to address the challenge.
“I don’t see the reason why we should hire somebody for six months, and they don’t have a staff ID and therefore, they are
not being paid. Obviously, they won’t be happy employees, and happy employees create happy classrooms where you get better
learning outcomes.
“So, the Director General has been tasked with the responsibility to
work with the teachers, unions and other organizations to ensure our teachers have what it takes so their payments would be processed in a timely fashion,” he said.
He made the remarks after paying a surprise visit to the Asem Cluster of Schools in Kumasi on Friday, November 25, 2022.
He further explained that “with those who have to go through promotion, not through the ranks (the lower ranks) or the beginning ranks, I want to make sure they prioritise it because it is not fair for somebody to teach for 2 years and promotion is due, they’ve done all the evaluation, but the document has not been sent to the headquarters for them to receive their promotion letters.”
“We have directed the GES to do whatever it takes. If they need
more staff, we will provide them with more staff to ensure teachers’ promotions are not delayed,” he added.
Some 256 teachers have sued the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Attorney General over their mass failure in the December 2021 promotional examinations.
The teachers, who are on the Assistant Director Grade I position, sat for the Assistant Director Grade I promotion examination at the Ada Training College Centre.
Mr James Enu, counsel for the applicants (teachers), told the Ghana News Agency that none of the 256 teachers, who wrote the exams at that centre passed, adding that, such an occurrence was bizarre.
Mr Enu said even though the applicants petitioned the GES to investigate the issue, they were informed that nothing untoward was found in the circumstances leading to their failure.
He said the applicants, however, believed that the GES did not conduct any investigations into the issue, therefore, he wrote on behalf of his clients to the Service to request for their scripts and scores, but no response was received to that effect.
He added that it was also worrying that the pass mark for the exams was not disclosed to the candidates before they sat for it but rather, they were informed after the examination that they had all failed the paper.
He said it was based on these that the applicants took legal action against the GES seeking the court to set aside the results of the exam to GES to furnish the applicants with their exams scores and scripts, as well as put an injunction on the defendant to prevent them from organizing other exams until the determination of the case.
Mr Oheneba Akyea Mensah, representative of the teachers, said the issue had affected them psychologically, emotionally, and physically making it difficult for them to properly discharge their duties as teachers.
Mr Mensah said during the exams some of the applicants did not have index numbers and were asked to use their staff numbers, adding that one was also absent while another got involved in an accident but all of them were declared as failed.
He said they wanted to set a precedence as this was not the first time such incidents have occurred.
Meanwhile, the Tema High Court ‘B’ presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, has set December 12, 2022, for the movement of the application.
Ten students of Agogo State Senior High School in the Ashanti Akim North District of the Ashanti Region have been mercilessly beaten by teachers for fetching water outside the school campus.
According to the students, they went to the community near the school to fetch water following water shortage on the campus, and while returning to the campus, the teachers numbering about six called them into a staff room and flogged them.
The students after being beaten went home and were sent to the hospital for treatment by their parents.
The students told Abusua FM reporter, King, that this wasn’t the first time such inhumane treatment had been meted out to students for doing no wrong, adding that the teachers are fond of maltreating them.
Some parents in an interview expressed displeasure over the conduct of the teachers and asked the Ghana Education Service to reprimand the teachers.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) in 2019 banned any form of corporal punishment in primary and secondary schools all over Ghana.
In a statement issued by the then Deputy Director General of GES, Anthony Boateng, said teachers are expected to use alternative sanctions as measures for correcting students in schools.
“This is in view of the Positive Discipline Toolkit containing positive and constructive alternatives to correcting children was developed in 2016 as a component of the Safe Schools Resource Pack.”
The statement added that “apart from the physical pain corporal punishment inflicts on children, this approach also causes significant emotional damage. Some of the lasting effects of this method of disciplining school children include physical scars, emotional scars (trauma, fear, timidity etc.) and violent behaviour.”
Steps suggested in the toolkit to address student behaviour include setting class rules with students, encouraging them to be of good behaviour, getting students to recite statements periodically to confirm their adherence to standards of behaviour set for the classroom.
They also include explaining to the child why a particular behaviour he or she has exhibited is unacceptable.
The toolkit also recommended punishments such as withdrawal of responsibility or removal from a leadership position, cleaning, changing of seating position, assignment of extra tasks and writing of lines, eg. A full book of “I will never talk in class again.”
The awardees were made of six categories namely kindergarten, primary, junior high school, senior high school, non-teaching and administration.
The awards ceremony was dubbed: “Promoting holistic education in the post-COVID era: The role of the teacher and school administrators”.
Awardees
The Overall Best Teacher award went to Prince Asirifi Nyarko of Begoro Salvation Army Junior High School, who received a 43” television set and a certificate.
Other prizes given out were table top fridges, home theater sound system, rice cookers, table top burners, gas cylinders, blenders and wall clocks.
Appraisal system
A former Director of Basic Education of the GES, Emmanuel Acquaye, said the role of the teacher in holistic education delivery, and the core roles of teachers and school administrators in any category were to contribute to institutional governance, manage for transformation and to institute and implement an appraisal system that led to holistic results-based management.
He explained that for all children to receive the high quality of pre-tertiary education that would prepare them to be productive in a rapidly changing world, instruction and instructional materials would need to be matched to the learner.
“Meeting the challenge of diversity requires decisions about educational policy with special references to parenting and management of schools in general, pedagogy and collegiality at the school level and allocation of resources that will make the difference between stagnation and growth,” Mr Acquaye stressed.
Passion needed
The Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa North Constituency, Kwabena Amankwah Asiamah, who sponsored the programme, entreated teachers to have passion for the teaching profession.
Mr Asiamah said Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education needed to be intensified in the schools in the district, and urged the teachers to put efforts into the teaching and learning of STEM-related subjects.
The District Director of Education, Mrs Gloria Aggrey Kilson, lauded the teachers and the awardees for their dedicated service but stressed that there was room for improvement.
She commended the Fanteakwa North District Assembly for building a new office for the district directorate to promote supervision of quality teaching and learning in the district.
The acting Begorohene and Akyem Benkumhene, Osabarima Bosompem Ayirepe II, who chaired the function, pledged the support of the traditional council to promote quality education in the area.
