Reform would ensure quality education - Fobih

Cape Coast, Oct. 09, GNA - Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Education, Science and Sports on Monday said the new education reform would ensure access to quality education.

He said quality was the hallmark of the reform therefore it was imperative for teachers the major stakeholders to remain committed and resolute towards improving efficient teaching and learning to ensure its success.

Prof. Fobih made the observation at a meeting with teachers in Cape Coast Municipality to explain the new education reform at Cape Coast. He said the reform was "teacher centred" stressing that when the necessary infrastructure and logistics were available without the teacher being well motivated, the reforms would not succeed, and gave the assurance that teachers would be given the needed motivation and training.

Prof. Fobih urged them to take their work serious and ensure proper monitoring and supervision in schools to improve on their performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

He said under the reform, there would be an improvement in the provision of infrastructure and other logistics particularly for vocational and technical schools adding "all these would be wasted if teachers did not perform efficiently".

Prof. Fobih noted that previous reforms did not achieve much results and about 52 per cent of Junior High Schools students who participated in the BECE did not qualify for Senior High School and did not progress further academically.

He said out of about 360,000 students who participated in the BECE annually, 150,000 did not gain admission to Senior High Schools, vocational and technical institutions but remained at home.

Prof. Fobih said it was to address this situation that the reform placed much emphasis on the yearly apprenticeship programme, vocational and technical studies to cater for those who could not further their education.

Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, Director General of Ghana Education Service, said the new education reform was special because GES had been given the mandate to undertake the implementation. He noted that in the past educational reforms were implemented by committees and urged stakeholders to support the GES to ensure the success of the reform.

Mr Bannerman-Mensah said there were some minor problems with the implementation particularly the syllabus, ICT programmes and structures for Kindergarten, but gave the assurance that all the problems would be solved after the first year of implementation. He explained that under the previous system many children completed JSS and still had problems with literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills but with the new reform, the situation would improve with the subjects being taught from the Kindergarten.

Mr Bannerman-Mensah called on teachers to change their attitude towards work and eschew vices such as drunkenness and absenteeism and become committed to their duty.

Madam Rosemond Blay, Central Regional Director of Education said teachers were prepared to ensure that the reform achieved the desired goals but should be given the needed training and motivation. "For the reform to be successful, the teacher must first be reformed in attitude to teaching, better perception of the profession and their performance," she added. 09 Oct. 07