Ghana signs C2.04 bn Education agreement

Accra, Jan. 9, GNA - The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on Friday signed a 2.04 billion cedis agreement with the United Nations Educational Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) for improvement in Teacher Training Institutions.

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Sector Minister and Mr Koichiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director - General signed for the respective institutions. Mr Baah-Wiredu commended UNESCO for the assistance and pledged the commitment of the country to pursue the tenets of the Memorandum of Understandings on the agreement.

The country has a short fall of 40,000 trained-teachers at the basic level and the assistance would help reduce the deficit. Giving statistics, Mr Baah-Wiredu said the basic levels required 126,000 trained-teachers, but currently operated with only 86,000 trained and 24,000 untrained teachers leaving 16,000 vacancies. He, therefore, commended UNESCO for the support and appealed to UNESCO to support Ghana's request on the Emergency Assistance Programme to be submitted at 2004-2005 biennium conference.

He said "it is indeed very crucial for us to see to the plight of the rural children if we are to give equal opportunities to our children.

"While the urban children have access to pre-school education, the rural children do not have access to it until they enter formal schooling at the age of six. This is an important issues to tackle." Mr Baah-Wiredu also commended UNESCO for initiating programme to solicit funding for Ghana under the Funds-in-Trust Programme of the organisation to help the country undertake the construction of pre-schools centres in all the Regions.

Mr Matsuura commended Ghana for consistently collaborating with UNESCO to improve the educational sector and hosting the Second Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Ministers and Experts of Education Meeting in Accra.

He said the meeting would discuss the harmonization of objectives of Education for All and the Decade of Education in Africa (DEA) within the context of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). It would also deliberate on HIV/AIDS and Education, Girls' Education, Teacher Training through Open and Distance Education, Science and Technology, and Vocational Training.

UNESCO appeals to Ghana to ratify two Educational Conventions

Accra, Jan. 9, GNA - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Friday appealed to Ghana to ratify the Conventions on illicit Drugs and the Dope Test among the youth as well as the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The UNESCO Director General Mr Koichiro Matsuura made the appeal and also urged Ghana to consider ratifying the Under Water Cultural Heritage Convention, which he described as a complicated convention designed to protect cultural dances, folklore, traditional songs and handicrafts.

He said these areas are not covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Conventions.

Mr Matsuura was speaking at the signing of 2.04 billion cedis agreement between UNESCO and Ministry of Education Youth and Sports for the improvement in the Teacher Training Institutions. He said, only two countries Panama and Bulgaria had ratify it but noted that Ghana stands to benefit from the Convention

The UNESCO Director General also tasked Ghana to prepare a draft paper on illicit drugs for the oversight meeting of UNESCO Ministers of Youth and Sports that would precede the Athens Olympic Games in August 2004.

Mr Matsuura said UNESCO have stated new educational developmental paradigm with the establishment of basic education as the principal priority on the new calendar and the mobilization of more resources outside the regular budget to promote the new agenda.

This would serve as a linkage between the Global, Regional and Sub-Regional educational agenda to promote networking as well as harmonizing their policies.

Mr Matsuura said in order to achieve the universal education for all, both developing and developed countries needed to move together and emphasised the need for quality education.

He commended Ghana for her re-election into the UNESCO Board of Directors, especially the exploits of Mr Christian Acheampong, the Board Member, for his long service to the Organisation and wealth of experience and also hosting two UNESCO Chairs at KNUST.

UNESCO Chairs are very important in their instruments as they help to develop and strengthen networking among the respective institutions. He presented a copy of UNESCO Annual Monitoring Report, which forms the basis of the global campaign and a complex analysis of what developing and developed countries as well as what international agencies and non-governmental organisations are doing in the Education Sector.

He also presented the World Sports Encyclopaedia to Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the Sector Minister.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the Ministry would collaborate with the appropriate stakeholders for the ratification of the Conventions. He said the Government placed emphasis on youth development, creation of enabling environment for employment and considered the Under Water Cultural Convention as laudable.

He said Ghana abounds with lot of young men and women who had completed Universities, Polytechnics and other educational institutions and needed to be assisted to go into small-scale industry. Ms Christine Churcher Minister of State, Basic, Secondary and Girl-Child Education and Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State, Tertiary Education were present.

The Director General, and the Ministers together opened a UNESCO Documentation Centre.