“Friendly fire” is killing spirit of team work in schools – Very Rev. Essilfie

The Very Rev. Paa Solomon Grant Essilfie, the General Manager of the Methodist Educational Unit, has said team work in schools and in classrooms was being killed by unnecessary “friendly fire”.

He said individuals and organizations were now directing their energies at looking better than the other person instead of focusing on the real issues that would bring about real achievements and growth.

Very Rev. Essilfie said this when addressing participants at a one day capacity building workshop in Wa on Wednesday.

It was jointly organized by the Public and Special Schools Division of the Board of Education and the Youth of the Methodist Church-Ghana.

The workshop was aimed at equipping Local Managers of Schools, Chairmen of School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) with the requisite skills and knowledge to enable them manage the schools effectively.

Very Rev. Essilfie said amazing things could be accomplished if people could get their leaders and members to trust and commit to the framework process of joint problem solving, consensus decision-making and shared leadership as well as win/win conflict resolution.

He said effective team work depended on good communication, active listening, conflict resolution as well as team diversity and motivation.

Very Rev. Essilfie said if the idea of team work was seriously considered in all schools by individuals, the schools would be better in all aspects of quality education delivery.

He appealed to all stakeholders involved in the management of schools to eschew the unnecessary "friendly fire" competition, and work as a team to improve quality education delivery.

Rev. Baah Yanney, the Upper West Regional Manager of the Methodist Educational Unit, expressed worry that the Unit in Wa had since its establishment in 1974 received very little infrastructural and logistic improvement.

He said the Unit was in the office of the Superintendent Minister of the Wa Circuit of the Methodist Church, while all members of staff were in the same office with the Regional Manager of the Unit.

He appealed to the government, benevolent individuals and organizations to assist the Unit with a permanent office accommodation and furniture, a means of transport, two computers and their accessories as well as a photocopier machine.

Rev. Yanney also appealed for financial assistance to enable the Unit refurbish the Regional Manager’s bungalow.

He appealed to the church to supplement the government’s grants which according to him was inadequate and is released irregularly.**