Minister of education outlines government measures

Ajumako (C/R), March 24, GNA - The government would not relent on its efforts at providing teaching and learning materials to augment what is already available, as well improve on facilities in schools. Government would also do its best to facilitate off-campus programmes so that students do not necessarily lose the needed contact hours while they upgrade and update their knowledge.

The Minister for Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, made this known at the opening of a five-day in-service training workshop for Senior High School (SHS) teachers at the Ghana Education Staff Development Institute (GESDI) in Ajumako. In attendance were 150 specialist teachers in English, mathematics and social studies.

Mr Tetty-Enyo called on participants to take the training programme seriously to improve upon their competence levels so as to maximise the use of teaching and learning materials and bring satisfaction to parents and the tax payer. He urged participants to endeavour to share the knowledge gained with their head-teachers and fellow staff so that together they could produce well qualified leaders capable of manning the nation's education sector. Mr Tettey-Enyo was grateful to the African Development Bank for funding the programme and other upcoming training programmes, and thanked the Japanese government for her consultancy services in the introduction of in-service training programmes for both basic and second-cycle institutions. Madam Victoria Opoku, Director in charge of Secondary Education observed that despite in-service training programmes and other extra classes, the performance of SHS students in recent times was at its lowest and called on teachers to work extra hard, be more committed to their studies and make sure there is improvement.

She said the government's policy was to support teaching and learning, adding that teachers must therefore reciprocate this resolve by working hard to improve the quality of education.

Mr Isaac Amonoo, the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Director of Education, who chaired the function, charged the participants to count themselves blessed for the opportunity, take the course seriously and go back to implement what they had learnt so as to produce useful citizens for the nation's development.

Mr Emmanuel Opare, Deputy Director of Basic Education and course co-ordinator, said the workshop participants was the second batch out of 4,200 core subject teachers to be retrained between now and September when the new four-year SHS programme takes off in all SHS and Technical Institutions nationwide.

He said another batch of 50 integrated science teachers was undergoing in-service training at the Ghana Education Service (GES) Science Resource Centre at Cantonment in Accra.