GES warns secondary school teachers

Kumasi, Aug 27, GNA- The Ghana Education Service (GES) on Tuesday issued a strong warning to Senior Secondary School (SSS) teachers who force students to buy pamphlets they have prepared in their subject areas.

The Director-General of the GES, Reverend Ama Afo Blay, who gave the warning during the Ashanti Regional Selection and Placement of Senior Secondary Students Meeting in Kumasi, said the practice is illegal.

She said because of the pamphlets some of the teachers do not prepare notes to assist them to effectively deliver in the classroom. The Director-General expressed concern about the rate at which students go home to demand monies for such pamphlets.

Rev Afo Blay also expressed the GES's displeasure at the establishment of afternoon classes conducted by teachers, some outside the school compounds.

She said: "establishment of these "schools" is not a healthy practice since some of the students have to leave the schools to attend the classes".

The Director-General appealed to headmasters to assist in stemming the practices.

She said the GES would not countenance any acts that would bring the service into disrepute and that those who are interested in founding their "schools" should leave the Service.

GES says Headmasters should collect approved fees

Sunyani, Aug 27, GNA- The Reverend Ama Afo-Blay, Director General of Ghana Education Service (GES), has asked heads of Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) to continue to collect approved fees until they are revised.

In an address read for her at the opening of a two-day selection and placement exercise in Sunyani for headmasters of SSS and District Directors of Education, she said the revision of the fees has become necessary in view of current economic trends.

The Director General asked the headmasters to display the list of admitted candidates into their schools on their notice boards, and write to them without delay to enable the students to report on time. She said the computerized system for the selection of candidates will become operational by September 2005 and will address other problems associated with the selection and placement of candidates. Rev Afo-Blay said the re-opening dates for senior secondary schools for this year are slated between September 20 and 23 and urged headmasters to arrange their dates to conform with the directive. She appealed to teachers with legal background to seek appointment with the legal unit of the GES.

Dr Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, Principal of Sunyani Polytechnic, appealed to headmasters to enrol more students for technical, science and agriculture-based courses "since the regional economy is based on agriculture."

He said such courses would offer greater employment Opportunities, as well as improve the supply, storage and processing of agricultural produce in the region.

The Principal expressed regret that education was not being given the needed attention it deserved and suggested to the Government to increase the 35 per cent budget for education to 50 percent. Dr. Nsiah-Gyabaah suggested to the headmasters to enrol girls with minimum aggregates and encourage them to learn technical, science and agricultural based programmes.