Minister says falling education standard could "kill" region

Ho, Dec 3, GNA - A visibly distraught Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Ameonowode, has called for action on all fronts to reverse the fast sliding education standards in the region or "we will see the Region's death soon".

He said Volta Region had lost its frontline position in education, no longer the beacon in that area and must be saved. Mr Amenowode was addressing the Volta Regional Level Awards Day of the National Best Teacher Awards Scheme in Ho on Wednesday on the Theme "Quality Education Begins With the Teacher".

He cited the 2010 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) analysis and national ranking where the best performing district in the region took the 64th position and the second best performing district came 73rd". "In fact even some schools scored zero percent which means that not even a single pupil passed in the Basic Examination which serves as a foundation for their career attainment," the Minister said. He said the situation was disturbing and "should not be allowed to continue since it would jeopardize the future of the young ones". Mr Amenowode said the Regional and District Directors of Education including the Municipal and District Assemblies should hold education forums regularly to address the situation.

He also called for a more effective supervision of the teachers by the Inspectorate Division of the Ghana Education Service (GES). Mr Amenowode said the government was going by its promise of providing school infrastructure, tool and motivation for teachers to raise standards. He appealed to teachers to exercise patience for thorough work to be done on data related to their duties before placement on the Single Spine Salary Scale, rather than hurry and get it wrong.

Mr Gabriel Kploanyi, the Volta Regional Director of Education, said BECE results plummeted from 49 percent pass in 2009 to 45 percent in 2010. He said the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations results had also been bad over the past few years and appealed to local governing bodies and management of schools to devise means of motivating teachers to raise teacher morale.

Mr Kploanyi said the exodus of teachers from the region to the Eastern and Greater Accra regions especially must be stopped to save education in the region. Mr Stephen Kwame, Awards Day Coordinator, said the 62 awardees comprised exceptional teachers and ancillary staff in 2010 as well as the backlog of winners in deferred awards days of 2007, 2008 and 2009.