GES records significant improvement

... in basic school education

Accra, Dec. 23, GNA- The quality of basic school education has recorded significant improvement especially in the area of material supply.
According to a study by the Ghana Education Service (GES) the number of schools with leaking roofs during the rainy season is becoming a thing of the past.

Mr Matthew Karikari -Ababio Strategic Planner at the GES told the Ghana News Agency in Accra that 15 years ago, over two-thirds of primary schools reported occasional shortage of chalk, " but now only one in 20 do so with 86 per cent always having enough."

"The per centage of primary schools having at least one English textbook per pupil has also risen from 21 per cent in 1988 to 72 per cent in 2003".
Mr Karikari-Ababio said elimination of gender bias in schooling had accounted for about four per cent increase in enrolments. "The gender disparity between the most deprived and well-endowed districts in Ghana has been reduced from 0.29 in 1999 to about 0.22 in 2002.
" The per centage of children of school going age who were outside the walls of the classroom has reduced from 30 per cent to 20 per cent after five years of implementation of the FCUBE programme since 1996". Mr Karikari-Ababio said the literacy rate among 15-24 age group had risen from 49 per cent to about 68 per cent between 1988 and 2003. The disparity between the most deprived and well-endowed districts reduced from 1.51 in 1999 to about 1.26 in 2002.
He said despite the modest achievements, there are constraints and challenges, explaining that three per cent of public schools are still held under trees.
"There are also primary school classes with about 40 pupils still using one English text books in the class".
Mr Karikari-Ababio said the new management of the GES had streamlined the Service through innovative interventions such as the creation of credible data at the regional and district levels, harmonisation of district work plans, tracking of contact hours in schools, tracking of teacher vacancies and impact assessment.
He said plans are underway to track the Internally Generated Fund (IGF) in GES schools and colleges and how the fund is utilised. A model study is to be done in January 2004 to inform policies and guidelines on IGF to facilitate the formulation of guidelines to build credible data in schools and colleges and track down any miscreant in the system.