Ghana on right track to achieving education millennium goals - Minister

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education Youth and Sports (MOEYS), on Thursday expressed optimism that Ghana was on the right track towards achieving her education millennium goals of universal primary education by 2015 despite all challenges.

He said the passing of only 27,766 out of 81,076 registered candidates in seven subjects in this year's Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE) was bad, adding that that had increased the Government's resolve to improving the educational system.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after he launched the 2003 to 2015 Education Strategic Plan (ESP) at a two-day consultative panel meeting between the Ministry and its development partners in Accra.

About 20 of the development partners are attending the meeting, which is under the theme: Implementing the Education Strategic Plan.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said every child was expected to have at least primary and junior secondary school education.

He said the bulk of school pupils, who failed to obtain the entry requirement for the universities and other higher institutions of learning should not lose hope but to strive to acquire some skills training in the technical, vocational and Integrated Community Education Programmes.

He reiterated that technical schools should not be regarded as places for people, who failed in the basic education, stressing, "that perception should be changed".

He said the Ministry would take a look at how some headteachers managed their schools, with a view to correcting lapses.

He said Ghana had produced people like Busumuru Kofi Annan and others, who occupied higher positions in the international circles, and should continue to fight for the youth to achieve higher educational standards to spearhead the development of the country in the future.

Representatives of each development partner at the launching pledged their organisation's continuous support and commitment to improving education. Ms Christine Churcher, Minister of State in-charge of Basic, Secondary and Girl-Child Education and Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State in-charge of Tertiary Education were present at the panel discussion.