GES commended for introducing monthly teacher assessment programme

Tamale, May 15, GNA - A monthly teacher assessment programme introduced by the Ghana Education Service (GES) last year is said to have impacted positively on the standard of education in the Northern Region.

The programme is part of an appraisal scheme by the GES to attract and retain best teachers in the teaching service. Mrs Sanatu Nantogmah, field director of Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC) an international non-governmental organisation pursuing child sponsorship education programme, said an evaluation of the programme in CCFC's project areas reveals a remarkable improvement in academic performance.

Mrs Nantogmah who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Monday said the evaluation shows that schools which recorded low enrolments two years ago due to teacher absenteeism have doubled admissions. She also lauded the GES annual competitive examinations in Mathematics and English and grading of school positions as a good innovation.

This has imbued the spirit of competition in teachers to improve the teaching and learning atmosphere. She said "formerly teachers used poor classroom facilities as excuse to play truant, but now the assessment programme motivates especially teachers in the rural areas to lobby NGOs and other stakeholders in education to seek support to create a conducive situations."

Mrs Nantogmah said her organisation has received a number of such requests adding that it is a source of encouragement to NGO's working in the education sector in the region. She said the change in attitude is also sending the right signals to donor organisations which normally expect such self-help initiatives from benefactors before they intervene.