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Tag: Ghana Education Service (GES)

  • School selection deadline extended to June 25 by GES

    School selection deadline extended to June 25 by GES

    Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced a deadline extension for the school selection process by Junior High Schools (JHS) students seeking to further their education in the second cycle institutions.

    The selection process, per a statement by the GES on June 13, has been extended to Wednesday, June 25, 2025. All Heads of Junior High Schools (JHS) are expected to take note.

    “Regional Directors are by this letter, kindly to communicate this updated deadline to all Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education to bring this to the attention of final-year JHS students through their respective Head teachers, and encourage them to take full advantage of the extended period to carefully review and select their preferred schools,” the statement added.

    According to the Ghana Education Service, the extension has become necessary due to the inclusion of private Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the selection process, allowing candidates additional time to make well-informed choices.

    All existing guidelines and procedures for the school selection process remain unchanged.

    Students have been encouraged to consult with their teachers, parents, and guardians to make informed and thoughtful decisions regarding their second cycle school education.

    A supplementary register of second cycle schools of the newly added private schools has been provided.

    Government announced plans to roll out the Free SHS programme to private schools during the launch of new guidelines for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) school selection process.

    Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Clement Apaak said the move was part of the government’s long-term strategy to ease pressure on public schools and ultimately terminate the double-track system.

    The double-track system was introduced in 2018 by the erstwhile government to accommodate the surge in student enrollment due to the Free SHS policy, addressing overcrowding in public schools.

    Under this system, students were divided into two groups—Green Track and Gold Track—attending school in shifts, with one track in session while the other was on break.

    The anticipated extension of the Free SHS policy, according to the Dr Apaak, is a fulfilment of the government’s manifesto promise, adding that it is a step to ensure eligible students gain admission without delays.

    “We believe strongly that in fulfilling this manifesto campaign promise, this is going to serve as an artery in helping us bring an end to the double-track system,” the deputy minister said.

    According to him, the Education Ministry has received encouraging feedback from private schools, many of which have expressed readiness to meet the standards and requirements of the Free SHS framework.

    “… and the eagerness of the private schools to participate, the private schools will deliver in their participation,” he assured.

  • BECE candidates in North Tongu barred from wearing shoes and belts to prevent cheating

    BECE candidates in North Tongu barred from wearing shoes and belts to prevent cheating

    The 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) commenced today across the country, marked by an unusual rule in the North Tongu District.

    According to a report by TV3 journalist Joseph Armstrong, candidates at the St Kizito examination centre are prohibited from wearing shoes or belts, a directive reportedly issued by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to prevent cheating.

    Armstrong, reporting from the scene, described the situation: “The candidates are standing outside, and they are being briefed by the GES here as to what to do and what not to do. But one thing we have noticed today, and we are told it is a directive from the GES; they are not supposed to wear shoes, and that is across the board, male, female.” Camera footage showed students in line, clad in slippers and sandals, with no belts in sight.

    In a notable incident, a Muslim female candidate was reportedly also instructed to remove her veil, suggesting a stringent interpretation of the GES’s anti-cheating protocols.

    The report also observed that students were not subjected to intensive searches upon entering the exam hall, leading to speculation that such measures might have been conducted earlier.

    The St Kizito examination centre has garnered particular interest due to the recent Akosombo dam spillage, which disrupted the lives and education of many in the region. The spillage reportedly displaced an estimated 35,857 people, including children, with schools either destroyed or rendered inaccessible.

    “We want to know if all of them were able to sit for the exam as we are told some of them, after registering, dropped out along the way due to the impact of the dam spillage,” Armstrong mentioned.

    The GES is yet to confirm if this directive originated from them and whether it is specific to the St Kizito examination centre or applies nationwide.

    As the exams proceed, it remains to be seen how these measures will impact the overall conduct and integrity of the BECE in the North Tongu District.

  • Deputy Minister emphasizes importance of early childhood education in Ghana

    Deputy Minister emphasizes importance of early childhood education in Ghana

    Deputy Minister for Education, Rev. Ntim Fordjour, has underscored the critical need to prioritize Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Ghana, highlighting significant strides made by the government to enhance the ECE subsector.

    Rev. Ntim Fordjour’s remarks came in response to statements made by the MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, during a parliamentary session, where the latter referenced the Ghana Education Service (GES) Lively Minds Programme as a case study for Early Childhood Education.

    Addressing parliament, Rev. Ntim Fordjour emphasized the collaborative efforts between the government and various organizations, including the Ghana Education Service, Lively Minds, Sabre Education, IPA, Right to Play, and UNICEF, in implementing the standard-based curriculum. 

    He highlighted the incorporation of play-based pedagogies into the curriculum, stressing its effectiveness in engaging learners optimally, as supported by research indicating that children learn best through play.

    “We see so many NGOs operating in silos and therefore the kind of harmonized impact we ought to gain in their interventions is not maximized. Taking a cue from that, we have managed to harmonize all of the players within the play-based sector,” Rev. Ntim Fordjour remarked, emphasizing the importance of coordination among stakeholders to maximize the impact of ECE interventions.

    Rev. Ntim Fordjour also commended the GES Lively Minds Programme for its innovative approach, which involves engaging 90,000 rural parents in classrooms to support their children’s learning. Additionally, he highlighted the launch of the KG INSET Manual last year, aimed at training 48,000 kindergarten teachers nationwide, as a significant step towards improving ECE standards.

    In recognition of the commitment demonstrated by ECE NGOs in Ghana, Rev. Ntim Fordjour reiterated the ministry’s dedication to collaborating with global partners to secure funding and support for further advancements in Early Childhood Education.

    The deputy minister’s remarks underscore the government’s commitment to enhancing ECE in Ghana, aiming to provide a solid foundation for the educational development of young learners and combat learning poverty. As efforts continue to improve ECE standards nationwide, stakeholders remain optimistic about the positive impact on Ghana’s educational landscape.

  • 69% of teachers who sat for February 2023 promotion aptitude test passed – GES

    69% of teachers who sat for February 2023 promotion aptitude test passed – GES

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has disclosed that out of the 80,810 teaching staff who participated in the February 2023 promotion aptitude test, 55,917 candidates successfully passed the examination.

    This signifies a success rate of 69%.

    The information was disclosed in a press statement signed by the Head of the Public Relations Unit of GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, on August 17, 2023.

    For the Deputy Director role, the test was taken by 8,565 candidates, with 4,655 individuals (54%) emerging successful.

    In the case of Assistant Director 1 Grade, 25,556 candidates engaged in the assessment, out of which 21,749 candidates (85%) passed.

    Additionally, the Assistant Director Grade II and Principal Superintendent promotion tests attracted 40,020 and 6,668 participants, respectively.

    From this pool, 24,581 candidates passed the promotion test for Assistant Director Grade II, while 4,932 individuals accomplished a successful outcome in the Principal Superintendent test.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service has noted that the promotion site will not be accessible this year

  • Kenneth Ashigbey calls for shifting ICT exams from theory to practical

    Kenneth Ashigbey calls for shifting ICT exams from theory to practical

    Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication CEO, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, has urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) and stakeholders to prioritize practicality in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) courses.

    Dr Ashigbey emphasised that the current teaching and assessment methods for ICT, reliant on books, fail to effectively impart knowledge to children. He asserted the urgent need for a shift towards hands-on training in emerging technological advancements to empower the younger generation.

    He said children could come up with workable solutions to problems in their communities by making use of technology to solve their everyday and community problems.

    Dr Ashigbey made the call at a day’s training on coding under the ‘Coding Caravan for 200 pupils and 67 teachers from public basic schools in the Ningo-Prampram District.

    The training is a digital skills education campaign initiated by the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication in partnership with the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana.

    He indicated that when the curriculum at schools was geared towards being more practical, stakeholders and industry players would buy into the idea and partner with the educational system, to provide the needed logistics and equipment to train the pupils.

    He said children were digital natives who always found their way out on how to use gadgets; therefore, giving them the basic training and access to ICT tools would make it easy to prepare them for the current world and the future.

    Mr David Gowu, the Executive Director of the Institute of ICT Professional Ghana, reiterated the need to practicalize ICT training and examinations.

    He said, “ICT for all levels must be practical based, with at least 50 percent theory and 50 percent practical.”

    Mr Gowu said with the current global adoption and use of artificial intelligence to solve several human problems, children must receive more practical ICT training from the basic level to be able to explore and exploit the field just like their peers elsewhere.

    In Ghana, even though some of the pupils passed their ICT examinations on paper, they had never seen a computer before, which meant they would encounter difficulties functioning well on the job market, as they would be expected to use the machines that they did not have any practical experience wit, he stated.

    He said it was for this reason the Coding Caravan was initiated, to bring ICT practicality closer to the children by creating awareness and excitement among the kids to pursue ICT programmes.

  • 12 GES officials implicated on over GHS 1m procurement breaches

    12 GES officials implicated on over GHS 1m procurement breaches

    Prosecution awaits the management of 12 Ghana Education Service (GES) offices located in six regions, as they are accused of committing procurement breaches totaling GHS 1,028,700.91.

    The implicated offices encompass various districts and municipalities across different regions of Ghana, including Tema, Ledzokuku, and Ga Central in Greater Accra; Abuakwa North in Eastern; Tumu in Upper West; Hohoe in Volta; Sefwi Juaboso, Aowin, and Sefwi Akontobra in Western North; as well as Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, Twifo Praso, and Hemang in the Central Region.

    The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, referred them to the Attorney General’s Office yesterday in Accra at the committee’s sitting.

    The Committee is seeking an­swers to infractions in the Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Ministries, Departments and other Agencies for the year ended December 31, 2021.

    The report said the 12 offices violated Section 20 of the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914) which requires procurement entities to request quo­tations from as many suppliers or contractors as practicable, but from at least three different sources.

    These sources should not be related in terms of ownership, shareholding or directorship and the principles of conflict of interest shall apply between the procure­ment entities and their members and the different price quotation sources.

    In line with the committee’s approach to non-competitive procurement, Dr Avedzi asked the management of the affected institutions to explain themselves to the Attorney-General’s office or the judge that would preside over their respective cases.

    “Whatever excuses you have, package them nicely and give it to the judge, he might set you free,” he said.

    Earlier, the committee upheld a recommendation in the AG report that a retired Eastern Regional Man­ager of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Stephen Okpoti Mensah, should pay for an official vehicle which went missing under his care.

    Per the report, the official vehicle with registration number GC 7923- 12 which was parked at the retired Regional Director’s official residence (SSNIT Flat Estate) was stolen in March 2019 while he was outside the country.

    It said although the matter had since been reported to the police, it was a violation of Section 52 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) which required him to ensure a proper control system existed for custody and manage­ment of the assets.

    The committee rejected the excuse that the theft case was being investigated by the police because after five years if no headway had been made, the retiree should take responsibility for the negligence that led to the theft of the vehicle.

    The committee was of the view that he should have left the vehicle at the office, where there was security, before travelling, and that if every official is not held account­able for what happened to state property in their care, they would be mismanaged.

  • Integrate school libraries into Ghana Library Authority – CEO

    Integrate school libraries into Ghana Library Authority – CEO

    The Ghana Library Authority’s (GLA) CEO, Hayford Siaw, has urged the Ministry of Education and the Ghana 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.

  • Fijai SHS Headmaster suspended for collecting illegal fees reinstated

    Fijai SHS Headmaster suspended for collecting illegal fees reinstated

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has made a decision to reinstate the headmaster of Fijai Secondary School, who was previously suspended on allegations of collecting illegal fees.

    The GES, in a statement, has directed both the head teacher and the school Parent Association to refrain from collecting any form of illegal fees or unauthorized levies from students.

    The GES also emphasized the importance of adhering to the regulations and guidelines governing the payment of school fees. The reinstated headmaster is expected to resume his duties while the regional director who was acting in his absence, has been instructed to hand over the affairs of the school to him while providing the necessary support.

    “I have been directed by the Director-General to re-instate you effective 8′ May. 2023 based on the item’s report on the alleged Collection of illegal Levies in the
    school.

    “GES Management directs that the Head Teachers and Parents of the school should be made to understand that Ghana Education Service (GES) frowns on an unauthorized collection of levies and takes every act of illegal collection of monies seriously.

    “The Regional Director is to hand over the Administration of the School to you and accord you the necessary support for you to function effectively,” a statement from the GES said.

    The statement further served a reminder to all educational institutions and stakeholders that the collection of illegal fees or unauthorized levies is strictly prohibited.

    “Management of GES wishes to inform you that all staff have a primary responsibility to ensure strict compliance to all directives, rules, and regulations of the Service and will not hesitate to take severe sanctions against any officer who flouts such directives and rules in the future,” the statement added.

  • GES interdicts Fijai SHS headmaster over alleged collection of illegal fees

    GES interdicts Fijai SHS headmaster over alleged collection of illegal fees

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has interdicted the Headmaster of Fijai Senior High School in the Western Region.

    (GES) took this action over allegations that Kenneth Agbomodze charged unapproved fees.

    Fijai SHS headmaster interdicted for allegedly charging illegal fees

    In an April 18 communique, the GES asked the head to hand over the running of the school to the Education Director in the Western Region.

    This is to allow for investigations to commence into the claims.

    A committee that has been set up to probe the matter has been given two weeks to submit its findings to management.

  • GNAT refutes reports of its staff being involved in ‘School Placement for Sale’ scandal

    GNAT refutes reports of its staff being involved in ‘School Placement for Sale’ scandal

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is challenging the Education Ministry and GES to publish the report on investigation into the ‘School Placement for Sale’ saga to help put matters to rest.

    This follows the disclosure by the Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng, that janitors and security personnel who were captured as middlemen in the investigative documentary by The Fourth Estate, are not employees of the Education Ministry, but that of the GNAT Hostel.

    He made this revelation while contributing to discussions on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, February 20.

    But reacting to the claim, the General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, said the allegation by Mr Kwarteng that a staff of the Association was identified as one of the brains behind the unfortunate happening, is inaccurate.

    GNAT insists that no staff of the Association was involved in the scandal.

    “No GNAT staff was involved. Let Kwasi Kwarteng come and tell us, let him come and tell us,” he stressed in an audio aired on Joy FM’s Midday news on Wednesday.

    According to him, the Education Ministry must reprimand Kwasi Kwarteng for peddling falsehood.

    “We demand that the Minister together with the DG must reprimand him, he must be rebuked. It is becoming the hallmark of Kwasi Kwarteng,” he said.

    “And this one, we want to tell the Ghana Education Service that should they keep quiet on this particular one, we as an organisation will give them a response,” he added.

    Itwould be recalled that in January, a Fourth Estate‘s investigative piece uncovered some rot in the placement into senior high schools.

    The investigation discovered that instead of the resolution centre serving as a spot to correct certain anomalies, it was turned into a marketplace where officials linked to the placement executed their trade through a network of intermediaries, mostly security guards and cleaners.

    Even though only two individuals – the Education Minister and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) – were the ones given access and passwords to approve protocol placement into Category A senior high schools, it has not stopped people from defrauding parents

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Bureau of Ghana languages asks GES to include 1 indigenous language as entry requirement to tertiary education

    Bureau of Ghana languages asks GES to include 1 indigenous language as entry requirement to tertiary education

    The Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) wants fluency in at least one indigenous languages to be made a requirement for gaining admission to tertiary schools in the country.

    The Bureau has therefore entreated the Ghana Education Service (GES) to include an indigenous language as an entry requirement into tertiary education.

    This, according to them will rekindle the desire for the study of Ghanaian languages.

    “As a means of rejuvenating public interest and appreciation for indigenous languages in Ghana, we wish to recommend that entry requirements into tertiary institutions should be opened up to include one indigenous language,” the Bureau said.

    The BGL made this recommendation at the 24th Edition of the UNESCO International Mother Language Day Celebration under the theme; “Multilingualism – A Necessity to Transform Education” in Accra on Tuesday.

    The Bureau explained that should one language be made a requirement, it would renew the desire to study native languages.

    “This would eventually awaken or rekindle the desire to study examinable indigenous languages,” the institute said.

    The BGL pointed out that although there have been complaints about a lack of teaching and learning materials, it is best that the GES makes an attempt to preserve the language rather than allow them to fade into oblivion.

    The Institute further said the GES has undertaken steps to ensure the continuity of languages by instructing pupils from Upper Primary to JHS to study by compulsion, the dominant language of the community they find themselves.

    However, it acknowledged there have been countless limitations.

    Highlighting these limitations, the Bureau said, “the barriers once again include; insufficient teachers who are resourceful in those indigenous languages at various locations where they are posted to teach.

    “Lack of resourceful indigenous language teachers, lack of indigenous language textbooks, heterogeneous mix of students and pupils from all regions of Ghana.”

    However, the institute stressed that multilingual education could be an asset if it can be encouraged amongst the various ethnic compositions of Ghana and within schools and colleges.

    Source: myjoyonline

  • School Placement: Switching from regular school to technical school easier – MoE

    School Placement: Switching from regular school to technical school easier – MoE

    The Education Ministry is encouraging candidates who wish to change from what it refers to as ‘grammar’ to technical school to do so.

    The move, according to the Ministry, is intended to broaden the technical and vocational space for national development.

    Speaking to Joy Prime’s Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, on Tuesday, the Deputy Public Relations Officer at the Ministry indicated that this will also help reduce the pressure on the ‘grammar’ schools.

    Mr. Yaw Opoku-Mensah further added that TVET education is key to dealing with the bulging unemployment situation in Ghana.

    “We need to understand it from the sociological perspective of how the education system has always been. Way back to the introduction of formal education. So you realise that the over 700 senior high schools are all within the grammar space. How many technical schools do we have, and how many people are motivated to find themselves within the technical education space? So we’ve had enough of grammar school,” he explained.

    The Deputy PRO also stated that the move will not only broaden the technical and vocational space for national development, but will gradually help alleviate unemployment in the country.

    “I believe you do have complaints about job seekers, and the question is what technical skills you are bringing on board. So therefore, we need to train our manpower within the technical space for the transformation and growth of the economy that we all seek. So that is why we are expanding that space. That is why we are motivating and encouraging people to find themselves within the technical space,” the Deputy PRO added.

    Mr. Mensah noted that the major reason school placement controversies arise is because the students do not arrange their schools in the right order.

    He also said that parents’ absence during the school-choice process, which tends to mount pressure on the teachers, is also the cause of the school placement debacle.

    “Someone with a good grade will probably be pushed to the third, fourth, or fifth choice, depending on the arrangement of schools that you have done… so you are pushed out of the spot with your good grade and raw score. That is why school organisation is critical, and it breaks my heart when our staff from headquarters and the regional base go into the district, in the cluster in the community, to educate parents, and when you call, the schools tell you that even if you call parents for a meeting, only a small percentage are actual parents, and the majority just send people to stand in for them.”

    The Deputy Public Relations Officer, the Education Ministry, Dr. Yaw Opoku, further urged that parents take an active part in the school selection process and collaborate with teachers to avoid future challenges.

    He also encouraged students considering entering the SHS system to consider technical schools, as they will provide them with more practical knowledge and skills.

    Source: myjoyonline

  • School Placement: Deputy Coordinator FSHS urges students/parents to accept postings

    School Placement: Deputy Coordinator FSHS urges students/parents to accept postings

    Deputy Coordinator, Free Senior High School (FSHS), Nana Afrah Sika Mensah, has asked parents and students to accept the schools they have been posted to.

    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.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Nkwanta South GES pledges to uproot human trafficking

    Nkwanta South GES pledges to uproot human trafficking

    Nkwanta South Municipal Education Director in the Oti Region, Jonathan Kosinah, has pledged his support to International Justice Commission (IJM) in the fight against human trafficking within the jurisdiction.

    The International Justice Commission is a global organisation aimed at protecting people in poverty from violence and combating child trafficking, slavery, and violence against women and children through local authorities in the country including the education sector, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the police, among others, with the support of journalists across the globe.

    Kosinah, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said his outfit is ever ready to support IJM in fighting human trafficking issues within his jurisdiction.

    He said it was the right of every child of school age to be in school and have access to education, which no one has the right to deprive them of it, not even their parents.

    He said that the guidance and counselling unit under GES would be made available for IJM to sensitisation of stakeholders and students.

    He stated that they would help in the awareness creation of human trafficking in the country and its effects and how to stop it in their various schools.

    He finally urged IJM to continue supporting human trafficked survivors so that they may not relapse into the same predicament they found themselves.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • GES announces SHS/TVET placement for 2022 BECE graduates

    GES announces SHS/TVET placement for 2022 BECE graduates

    Placement for 2022 graduates of the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) into Senior High Schools and Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) has been released. 

    It was released on Wednesday, February 15, by the Ghana Education Service(GES). 

    According to the Service, candidates can now log onto the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to check their schools.

    The Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Eric Nkansah made this known at a press conference.

    According to him, “Out of the 547,329 candidates who sat for the examination, 538,399 qualified for school placement.”

    He added that “372,780 candidates have automatically been placed into various schools.”

    However, 165,601 candidates will have to do self-placement because they could not be matched to their school of choice,” he also said. 

    Meanwhile, Dr Nkansah insisted that first-year students are expected to report to school on February 20 for their admission processes to begin.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Preparations to release school placements underway – GES

    Preparations to release school placements underway – GES

    The Ghana Education Service has announced that preparations are ongoing for the release of Senior High School (SHS) Placement for the 2023/2024 academic year.

    It has therefore cautioned the public not to fall prey to what it describes as deceitful persons that may ask them to pay money to be placed in an SHS.

    The GES said such persons must be reported to the Police immediately.

    It assured the public it was committed to ensuring a smooth and merit based SHS placement.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • 2023 SHS placement to begin with school choices verification – GES

    2023 SHS placement to begin with school choices verification – GES

    The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that the 2023 school placement exercise will begin with the verification of students’ school choices.

    GES in a release signed by the Head of the Public Relations Unit, Cassandra Twum Ampofo explained the rationale behind the new procedure.

    According to the release, ”this verification process is to ensure accuracy in students’ choice information before they are placed in their selected Second Cycle Schools.”

    The verification exercise which commenced on 14th January, 2023 will end on 22nd January, 2023.

    2023 SHS placement to begin with school choices verification – GES

    GES noted as part of the verification exercise, “Students, parents/guardians will receive SMS message from the CSSPS which contains web portal: https://csspsverify.com and USSD short code number *899*88# with 4digit token number.”

    “Students who may have errors in their initial selection should call 0556541525 or click on the edit button available on the web portal after their selection details are displayed with a copy of the original selection form.

    “Students can also send an email with the copy of the original selection form to cssps2021@gmail com,” it added.

    GES cautioned students that the verification exercise is not to change schools but to confirm the initial choices selected.

    Source: myjoyonline

  • See dismissal as a major turning point to change – GES admonishes sacked Chiana students

    See dismissal as a major turning point to change – GES admonishes sacked Chiana students

    Students who were dismissed from Chiana Senior High School (SHS) have been advised by the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to view their dismissal as “a key turning point in their life to bring the necessary change in behavior and attitude toward life.”

    The Management of GES on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, announced the sacking of eight (8) students of the Chiana SHS in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, for abusing President Akufo-Addo.

    A letter to the parents of one of the dismissed students explained that her conduct was “considered very undesirable and contrary to the acceptable standards of conduct generally required of any student in our Educational system in Ghana.”

    Earlier, the management of GES apologized to the President on behalf of the school and the students.

    “Management of the GES wishes to extend our sincere apology to the President and the general public on behalf of the students and the school,” the GES said in a statement released on Monday, November 14, 2022.

    The GES described the act as “unfortunate”, adding that it is “against every educational and moral principle of our society.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • 8 Chiana SHS insulting Akufo-Addo in viral video sanctioned

    8 Chiana SHS insulting Akufo-Addo in viral video sanctioned

    Authorities at the Ghana Education Service (GES) have meted out sanctions to some students who were seen in a viral video insulting President Akufo-Addo.

    The students, numbering about eight, were on suspension prior to this move by the GES. However, they have now been dismissed from the school, which located in the Upper East Region.

    In the video that stirred up controversy in the country some months ago, the students, all female, were heard raining insults on the President and accusing him of plunging the country into an economic hardship.

    Announcing the decision, GES says its investigation into the incident confirmed that the students used unsavoury language against the President. 

    It has thus described the actions of the students as “very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system.”

    The GES had earlier apologised to President Akufo-Addo over the comments by students. 

    “We wish to inform the general public that the students in the video have been identified as second-year students of Chiana Senior High School in the Kassena Nankana West District.

    “Management of GES wishes to extend our sincerest apology to the President and the general public on behalf of the students and school”, says portions of the statement issued on November 14, 2022.

    Source: myjoyonline

  • Education Ministry partners 3 NGOs to bring 70,000 out-of-school children back to school

    The Education Ministry (MOE) is partnering three NGOs to send over 70,000 school dropouts back to school.

    On Wednesday, the Ministry through the Ghana Education Outcomes Project (GEOP) signed a contract with three Service Providers (educational advocacy Non-Governmental Organizations) to bring 70,000 out-of-school children back to school.

    The three service providers; Street Child UK, Plan International and School for Life Education Outcomes Project, are being funded by the Education Ministry in collaboration with its development partners with a grant facility of US 25.5 million from the Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches (GPRBA) as additional funding for the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).

    Mr Divine Ayidzoe, Acting Chief Director, signed on behalf of the Education Ministry while the leadership of the three service providers signed for their institutions.

    The tenets of the contract expect the service providers to help bring improvement in the quality of education in low-performing basic schools in the country, build the human capital index (amount of capital knowledge children have by the age of 18) of children by letting them acquire basic numeracy and literacy skills.

    Again, the contract requires the service providers to put to help improve learning outcomes for the targeted population by re-integrating out-of-school children (OOSC) into mainstream beneficiary schools, strengthening the use of resources efficiently, introducing new capacity-building systems for teachers or facilitators in beneficiary schools and improving retention in the beneficiary schools over a period of two years.

    MOE signs contract with 3 NGOs to bring 70,000 out-of-school children back to school

    The Ag. Chief Director indicated that the project which is additional funding for the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project has the theme, “Getting all children educated through support to schools and communities”.

    He was upbeat that with good collaboration among the Ministry, the service providers and other stakeholders, many children, especially those who are out of school would go back to school to benefit from education for their own good as well as shape their dreams so they contribute towards the development of the nation.

    The Ag. Chief Director pledged to create an enabling environment for the service providers and any other stakeholder in the education space to contribute towards improving education in the country.

    He urged the service providers to bring all their expertise to bear to help bring improvement into the education sector as well as improve enrollment in schools through various innovations.

    Project aim
    The GEOP is aimed at helping improve the quality of education in selected low-performing basic schools and strengthen education sector equity and accountability in Ghana.

    The project has two broad components namely the Rural Component and the Urban Component with the Rural Component targeting 60,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) in rural Ghana, specifically from selected districts in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Bono, and Oti Regions with a high prevalence of OOSC.

    The Urban Component on the other hand targets 10,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) and street children in the Greater Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Areas.

    Under this component, OOSC will be trained using the nine months of Complementary Basic Education, CBE modules to help learners acquire foundational skills in literacy and numeracy.

    After the nine months of CBE training, OOSC will have two options which are to either choose to be re-integrated into the mainstream schools or they will be enrolled into informal skill sets training by certified master craftsmen leading to the acquisition of the National Proficiency 1 & 11 Certificates.

    Service Providers role
    The service providers are expected to pre-finance the project by using their experiences and innovation in dealing with out-of-school children to bring them back to school after which KPMG, a consulting firm tasked to evaluate the project would validate the state of the results from the service providers before they are paid.

    Using the Results-Based Approach would ensure that any service provider who does not get the needed results would lose his investment since the institution would not be paid for whatever job it has done.

    This approach would compel them to use the best strategies and innovative approaches towards getting the best outcomes for the project.

    Mr Zakaria Sulemana, Ghana Country Representative, Street Child UK, pledged to work hard with all stakeholders towards attaining the target of the project and called on all stakeholders to come together towards achieving the goals set by the project.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • 256 teachers sue GES over promotional exams failure

    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 II 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, a 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 precedent, as this was not the first time such an incident had occurred.

    Meanwhile, the Tema High Court ‘B’ presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, has set December 12, 2022, for the movement of the application.

    Source: Citinewsroom

  • Don’t victimize Chiana SHS students who abused Akufo-Addo – Child Right to GES

    Child Right International (CRI) has asked the Ghana Education Service (GES) not to render an unjust treatment to some female students of Chiana Senior High School (SHS) who were seen in a video slandering President Akufo-Addo.

    It will be recalled that about four female students believed to be in their second year in the Kassena Nankana West District denigrated the President for failing to recover Ghana’s dwindling economy.

    In a viral video, these students were heard saying“Akufo-Addo, why? Why? We need your head for money rituals,” they shouted while using other unprintable words.

    The GES, reacting to the audio-visual content released a press statement assuring the President and Ghanaians that the development will be investigated and the right punishment applied accordingly. 

    Responding to the GES’ press statement, the Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah pleaded with the service to be considerate when issuing punitive measures against these young.  

    He stated that the students should not be victimized but rather should be reformed.

    He explained that, “when children exhibit things that are abnormal the interest of the state is to correct that abnormality. The system of correcting that behaviour is not a kind of system that should bring victimization. It is not a kind of system that should tarnish the image of the children but it should be the system that will reform them and then rehabilitate them so that they can see things from the normal perspective in terms of how the state expects children will behave at the particular age and all that.”

    “Looking at all the concerns raised by Ghana Education Service and also the judge of the region. It clearly points to the fact that something went wrong and that thing must be corrected. But what will be of concern to us is that the state itself sees that behaviour as abnormal and the process of engaging to correct them is what we call the rehabilitation program that needs to be instituted. 

    Mr Bright Appiah asked the government to implement good rehabilitation systems to deal with children who exhibit abnormal conduct.

    This, he believes will help transform recalcitrant children in our society.   

     

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • GES investigates Chiana SHS students who verbally abused Akufo-Addo

    A viral video of some students from Chiana Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper East Region slandering President Akufo-Addo has reached the Ghana Education Service (GES).

    The second-year female students in the Kassena Nankana West District chastised the president for the economic challenges Ghanaians are enduring under his administration.

    “Akufo-Addo, why? Why? We need your head for money rituals,” they shouted while using other unprintable words.

    Reacting to the viral video, the Ghana Education Service has condemned the utterances made by the students, adding that “this unfortunate act is against every educational and moral principle in our society.”

    In a press statement dated November 14 and signed by the Head of Public Relations Unit, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the Service indicated that the management of the school has begun investigations into the matter.

    Also, the school has reached out to the parents of the students to assist with its examination.

    “We wish to also assure the general public that the outcome of the investigations will be made known as soon as it is concluded,” the statement added.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service has rendered an apology to President Akufo-Addo and all relevant stakeholders in the education sector, as well as the entire citizenry, over the conduct of the students under its tutelage.

    This is not the first time a student has lashed out against the president.

    In August 2020, some final year students at Sekondi College in the Western Region rained insults on President Akufo-Addo over their difficulty  writing the Integrated Science paper during the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). 

    The actions of the students were condemned by the GES, which later banned the students from completing the 2022.

    Amidst the controversy, one of the final year students, Cobinnah, publicly apologised to the president for his actions.

    Following this, the president interceded on their behalf and asked the GES to reverse its decision and allow the students to complete their exams. 

    In the Ghanaian society, it is the practice that the younglings accord the elderly the needed respect in spite of the situation they find themselves in.

    It is in view of this custom that the GES and some Ghanaians believe the students erred, despite the hardships they may be facing.

    Ghana is currently battling an inflation rate of 40.4%, hike in fuel prices, and higher transport fares. These circumstances have exacerbated the economic hardships some Ghanaians were already facing.

     

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • GNACOPS: The law is not subservient to the appointment of the new GES Director-General

    Enock K. Gyetuah, National Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), has expressed the Council’s concern over President Akufo-Addo’s choice  for the position of Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.

    President Akufo-Addo has nominated Dr. Eric Nkansah as the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

    His appointment was contained in a letter issued on Wednesday, October 19 by the Presidency and signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President.

    Reacting to the appointment, the GNACOPS Director stated that it was a “violation of our professional education standards.”

    “It is a total contravention of the Teacher Professionalism as far as the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 ( Act 1023) is concerned.

    “The appointment is in breach of sections 67(1), 68(1,&1a), and 79 (1) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 Act 1023.

    “The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), as an upholder of good standards in education, does not support this appointment,” he said.

    According to him, Dr. Eric Nkansah is not an educationist and has not served, nor risen through the rank and file of the Ghana Education Service to be bestowed such an honour.

    The Council is thus calling on the President to rescind his appointment and select someone from the GES to fill the vacant position.

    “It is no secret that there are ranks or levels in every sector, through which employees should pass, before being promoted to managerial positions.

    “Why should Educationists spend their lives in service to GES, go through promotions and ranks, if a banker could overnight become their Director General?” he said.

    “GNACOPS strongly proposes that the appointment system of the Director General of  GES, should be looked at carefully from the service viewpoint, and be restricted to only Professional within the Education sector.

    “It should be based on projectory experience, qualification, and skills, with rank and longevity in the service, being made the heart of the appointment, similar to what is done in the Police Service, in the appointment of IGP,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Dr. Eric Nkansah has 14 days to either accept or reject his appointment as the new GES Director-General.

     

  • Teacher Kwadwo details how his headmaster betrayed him

    Ghanaian professional teacher who doubles as a media personality, Michael Owusu Afriyie, known chiefly as Teacher Kwadwo has narrated how a headmaster betrayed him leading to his dismissal by the Ghana Education Service (GES) back in 2021.

    Teacher Kwadwo who is known to be a ‘people-person’ at the Akrofrom District Assembly Primary School in the Ashanti Region was sacked for insubordination and misconduct. He was also tagged as incompetent.

    According to a GES statement, he was absent from school for 55 days in an academic year.

    But explaining his side of the story once again, the dismissed teacher claimed that his headmaster whom he gave his name as Timothy, granted him permission to be absent from school on Fridays due to a programme he was running on television.

    He maintained that authorities from his district hated him for no reason, leading them to plot evil against his career despite his service to the school.

    “Some people from the district plotted against me when I started my donations to the school. I can’t tell if it was jealousy or maybe they were mad I was rather working… I was the one forcing to get the students better education but they claimed I was always absent from class. That was the genesis of all my woes.

    “Every Saturday, I was on United Showbiz where I run my programme. After I close from teaching, I rush to Accra. On some days, I get to Kumasi at 12 am at dawn. I will sleep on the bus and get to Accra around 5 am. It was during the back and forth that my headmaster one time had a conversation with me. He talked about the help I give the children with the money I make and so he wanted to do something that can help release the stress and burden on me.

    “He said that in my class, we had two teachers and so he said that Fridays will be given to me as off-days simply because the students lose nothing… We all had a meeting over that because it wasn’t bad even though it wasn’t a government decision… We made sure that the students were not going to lose… From there, I was travelling to Accra on Fridays… It went on for two months,” Teacher Kwadwo disclosed in an interview on Mahyease TV Show with Afia Amankwaah Tamakloe.

    He continued: “Although I had Fridays off, I sometimes came to school to sort things out. Even my master was like okay if you will come on Friday, that’s up to you… On days when I asked for permission to be absent, he can say that the time wasn’t favourable so don’t go… I guess the district hated me for that and so they went into the Time Book where we signed. They accumulated it and said it all accounted for 51 days. I told them that I didn’t run from school but sought permission from my Master to be absent.”

    Teacher Kwadwo received the shock of his life when his headmaster testified that he never consented to his decision to be outside the classroom on Fridays or any other day.

    Speaking in the interview monitored by GhanaWeb, he noted that his headmaster feared losing his position, the reason he betrayed him despite having a teacher testify that indeed he consented to that arrangement.

    “When my master was called, I guess he was afraid, he also denied ever permitting me to be absent. I screamed ‘Timothy, how could you?’ I have toiled for these students, I gave them laptops, supplied the school team with football boots, and 4 brand new TVs. I even renovated the school, so I asked why could Timothy do that to me. The authorities then said that my master claims not to have had anything to do with my absenteeism. One of my colleagues even testified that the master granted me permission after a meeting but that didn’t convince them,” he lamented.

    Meanwhile, part of the GES letter that explained its decision to sack the popular teacher read: “He further even refused to respond to a query issued to him by the District Director and in addition refused to appear before a panel set up by the District Director to investigate his conduct.”

    Read the statement below:

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Pornography in schools: Hearing impaired students smuggle phones to watch pornography

    The management of Senior High Technical School for the Deaf at Akuapem-Mampong in the Eastern Region is disturbed about the increase in hearing impaired students bringing mobile phones to class to watch pornography, gamble, and stake lotteries.

    The subject has been repeatedly brought up at general PTA meetings in recent months by school officials, who are threatening to violently seize cell phones discovered with students.

    At a recent PTA meeting, management said “It realized that students bring to school expensive phones. Some videos show their nakedness or their sexual acts and these videos sometimes get onto their platforms. Parents were advised to always take wards phones before they come to school since seized phones are never returned to owners.

    “Parents must be mindful of their wards at home and the kind of friends they visit and keep as some are betting and staking lotto,” the management said.

    Meanwhile, parents are being encouraged to pay the PTA levy of GHC 20 per student approved by the government to support development in the school.

    A portion of the amount accrued will be used to pay a monthly allowance to a retired driver to transport the students until the government posts a new driver.

    “Students are shuttled between the two campuses every day and so there is a need for drivers in the school. One of the two drivers of the school is retiring next month. But posting of drivers to school is on hold from the Ghana Education Service and the absence of one driver for the school is going to be a very big challenge as a result of our specialty” management added.

  • Kpone-Katamanso Education Directorate holds maiden reading festivals

    The Kpone- Katamanso Municipal Education Directorate, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and its development agencies, has organized a maiden Municipal Reading Festival in Kpone.

    The Reading Festival was on the theme: “Learn to Read, Read to Learn,” to inculcate the habit of reading into students, especially at the lower primary level.

    Mr. Samuel Okoe Amanquah, the Municipal Chief Executive, in a speech read on his behalf, pledged that the Municipal Assembly would continue to support educational activities within the municipality to enhance teaching and learning in the various schools.

    Mr. Amanquah stressed that the reading festival would also offer the pupils the opportunity to learn new words to improve their vocabularies, adding that being able to read and understand helps the student to perform well during examinations.

    The Kpone-Katamanso MCE said due to the lack of intensive reading in the various basic schools, many students did not perform well during their final examinations, stressing that education was vital as far as development was concerned.

    In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the fringes of the reading festival, Mr. Harry Evans Arthur, the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Education Director, explained that the reading festival was also to highlight the importance of reading to the pupils.

    Mr. Arthur said as part of the incentives to boost reading in the municipality, the best readers out of the lot would be allowed to represent the municipality at the regional level.

    He urged stakeholders in the education sector, including parents, to support their children to enhance their reading capabilities.

    He said the education directorate would ensure the reading festival expands its regime to include students from private schools within the municipality for effective and efficient competition.

    The 2022 Kpone-Katamanso reading festival was sponsored by USAID.

    Source: gna.org.gh

  • GES is not reviewing Free SHS policy Director-General

    The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa has explained that government is not reviewing the Free Senior High School Policy.

    According to him, any decision to review the policy will emanate from the President.

    In a statement dated July 22, 2022, he stated that, “The GES is a government agency and does not formulate or initiate review of policies.”

    On Thursday, July 21, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa in an answer to a question posed by Raymond Acquah on JoyNews Upfront said the GES is reviewing the policy to determine how much parents can pay

    However, in the statement issued today, the Director-General said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the GES is not undertaking any review of the FSHS. Any such review of the FSHS Policy is the sole prerogative of the President and the government. As an Agency, the GES implements government policies and programmes in pre-tertiary education.”

    Prof. Opoku-Amankwa stressed that “His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his recent speech at UHAS, assured all students, potential students, parents and the entire country that the Free SHS will not be affected by the IMF programme.”

    He therefore expressed the resolve of the GES to implement the vision of President Akufo-Addo. “It is the commitment of GES under my leadership to ensure that the vision of President Akufo-Addo of providing accessible, equitable and quality Free SHS education is fully implemented to the benefit of the good people of Ghana,” he stated.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • GES to reverse SHS academic calendar to pre-COVID era

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has indicated that the academic calendar for Senior High School students will be restored to the pre-COVID era by 2024.

    This will enable WASSCE candidates complete their final exam between May and June, instead of the August-September calendar which is currently being run.

    “Though Ghanaian candidates are the only group to sit for exams during this period, they will join their other counterparts in West Africa by 2024,” Director-General of the Service, Prof. Kwasi OpokuAmankwa assured in an interview with Citi News.

    Director-General of GES, Prof. Kwasi OpokuAmankwa.

    Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, academic work for most schools was distorted. This was due to the lockdown and other measures instituted to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

    As a result, the academic calendar was reviewed such that WASSCE candidates who previously wrote their final exam between May and June ended up taking the exam between August and September.

    However, the four neigbouring West African Countries – Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Gambia – who also partake in the exam have returned to the May/June calender, leaving only Ghanaian candidates to write the exam between August and September.

  • Professor Anamuah-Mensah calls for review of basic and secondary education

    Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has embraced the call for a review of basic and secondary education in Ghana with immediate well-thought-out measures to salvage it from collapse.

    He emphasised on the fact that many children were not literate and numerate at their levels owing to the failure to provide the right input and resources, including well-qualified teachers with the right pedagogy.

    “So, if you are in class three, you have to read class three books but the majority are reading class one books and a few are doing class two books,” he observed.

    “We said everybody should be computer literate but if you go to some Junior High Schools (JHS), there are no computers to do anything. So, what are you teaching? Are you helping them to obtain digital knowledge?” he queried.

    In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Prof Anamuah-Mensah blamed the situation on the lack of proper training of teachers on the new standard-based basic school curriculum

    He said the situation would remain the same if teachers were not properly trained and though the structure and purpose of the new curriculum carried the potential to transform basic education.

    This is being done to be able to help and direct teachers so that they will be very comfortable and confident when they are teaching and what they are teaching and to ensure that they are using the right approaches and pedagogies to do it, and they have the resources that they need to do it and they have the support of the ministry and parents in doing their work,” he said.

    Prof Anamuah-Mensah observed that the lack of resources was a fundamental problem of the structure which had led to many students failing in examinations at the secondary school level.

    He averred that because JHS was part of basic school, the students tend to think as such and, therefore, struggled to cope in Senior High School.

    “It is like a whole new atmosphere because the curriculum is different from what they were doing,” the former Vice-Chancellor stressed.

    He, therefore, called for a restructuring of secondary education to add JHS to SHS to realign the thinking of students.

    “From Junior High School, they will know that they are not really part of the primary school; they have moved to a higher level in the Senior School.

    “So JHS should have similar facilities like SHS. They should have teachers qualified to teach JHS and be able to even teach SHS,” he said.
    Prof Anamuah-Mensah acknowledged efforts by Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister for Education, to introduce a similar system and expressed his support for the same.

    Source:theindependentghana