Take measures to replace ageing lectures

Kumasi, May 6, GNA- Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, at the Weekend said education delivery at universities in the country could suffer a major setback if comprehensive measures were not instituted to get timely replacement for ageing lecturers.

He pointed out that in order to address the problem, the authorities should brainstorm with stakeholders to evolve comprehensive measures to attract the youth to take up teaching appointments at the universities.

University education, he said, was crucial to Ghana's development and as such entreated the authorities to leave nothing to chance but strive to explore avenues to make it vibrant.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Baffour Dr Osei Tutu Amofa II, Kronkohene, at the maiden Ashanti Regional Education Sector Annual Review (ESAR) held in Kumasi. The forum, which was attended by stakeholders in the educational sector, sought to assess the overall educational status in the region, review achievements made during the previous years and also identify the challenges and actions to be taken in the coming years.

The Asantehene, who is Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), further called on corporate bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to make it a policy to always collaborate with university authorities in providing adequate residential facilities for students and staff since education was a shared responsibility.

Whilst emphasizing the importance of education in general, he expressed optimism that the ESAR would go a long way in strengthening the capacity of stakeholders in education management at the regional and district levels.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu was also hopeful that such review exercises would enable policy makers to track district and regional performance with the view to providing further assistance to those lagging behind in the implementation of national education policies and directives in respect of education generally.

Mrs Belinda Serwaa Addo, Regional Director of Education, indicated that all findings and recommendations made at the forum would be forwarded to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports as input for the National Review scheduled for June this year.

Dr Benjamin Kwesi Prah, Principal of Kumasi Polytechnic, who presided, noted that the single most important renewable natural resources is the human resource and stressed that, through dynamic educational programmes that it could be effectively harnessed and developed.

He implored the participants to critically assess the educational status of the region to consolidate achievements made and also identify the future challenges and actions to address them. Dr Prah was optimistic that the outcome of the review would strengthen capacity in education management and also enhance accountability and transparency. 6 May 07