Educationist Calls For Debate On Reforms

Koforidua, Aug. 15, - An educationist has called for dialogue among stakeholders in education to ensure a good educational system. Mr Ofori Boahene, a former education officer, made the call at the opening of the third triennial 12th Eastern Regional delegates' conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at Koforidua. The theme for the three-day conference is: "Changes in educational policies, the difference is the teacher." Mr Boahene said "since educational issues affect every household, it is only right and fair that every citizen is encouraged.... for what concerns all must be decided by all." He called on the government to adopt a policy of consulting and conferring with the broad spectrum of teachers to ensure peace and the successful implementation of educational policies. On the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (F-CUBE) programme, Mr Boahenecalled for more periods for reading, writing and arithmetic (mathematics) from primary one to three. He suggested the introduction of civics as a non-examinable subject throughout basic schools in order to inculcate the democratic culture into the pupils. He appealed to the government to subsidize the price of textbooks, warning that "if the textbooks situation is not solved satisfactory, I do not see how we can raise the standard of education."