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Tag: Education Minister

  • More than 500,000 BECE graduates were placed in different SHSs – Education Minister

    More than 500,000 BECE graduates were placed in different SHSs – Education Minister

    Around 500,000 BECE graduates have been enrolled in various Senior High Schools across the country, according to Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.

    Dr. Adutwum says the number has increased significantly following the introduction of the free SHS policy.

    Speaking at the 2022 Presidential BECE awards in Accra, Dr. Yaw Adutwum said the free SHS policy has opened many opportunities for children to attain secondary education.

    “The Free SHS programme has sent many students to various high schools in the country. When it started in 2017, there were 830,000 students enrolled in high schools across the country.”

    “This year alone, we have a record 500,000 students placed in senior high schools across the country, and we are waiting forward for them to enrol. That tells you the progress we have made these past few years.”

    Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said government will continue to implement policies and programmes geared at making education better in Ghana.

    Nana Akufo-Addo said education remains a topmost priority for his government.

  • Over 500,000 BECE alumni enrolled in different SHSs – Education minister

    Over 500,000 BECE alumni enrolled in different SHSs – Education minister

    Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has said that over 500,000 BECE graduates have been placed in various Senior High Schools across the country under the school placement system.

    Dr. Adutwum says the number has increased significantly following the introduction of the free SHS policy.

    Speaking at the 2022 Presidential BECE awards in Accra, Dr. Yaw Adutwum said the free SHS policy has opened many opportunities for children to attain secondary education.

    “The Free SHS programme has sent many students to various high schools in the country. When it started in 2017, there were 830,000 students enrolled in high schools across the country.”

    “This year alone, we have a record 500,000 students placed in senior high schools across the country, and we are waiting forward for them to enrol. That tells you the progress we have made these past few years.”

    Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said government will continue to implement policies and programmes geared at making education better in Ghana.

    Nana Akufo-Addo said education remains a topmost priority for his government.

  • Parliament to summon Education Minister over ‘Placement for Sale’ documentary

    Parliament to summon Education Minister over ‘Placement for Sale’ documentary

    Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Notsu Kotoe, has revealed the Committee’s decision to summon the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum to provide answers on the ‘Placement for Sale’ documentary.

    Speaking to the media, Mr Kotoe noted that the Minister would appear before the House on Thursday, February 2, 2022.

    “The chairman and myself we decided that we should call the Minister to appear before the committee on Thursday.  I am very much aware that the chairman of the committee gave instructions to the clerk of the committee to summon the Minister before the committee on Thursday.”

    “So tomorrow, we will find out if the correspondent has got to the office of the Minister and what his response is,” he told JoyNews.

    A documentary by The Fourth Estate dubbed ‘Placement for Sale’ has revealed how parents to pay money to some middlemen for their children to be placed in their preferred secondary school.

    Per reports, some culprits have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service.

    Meanwhile, Dr. Adutwum will likely reply to claims that his organization conducted inquiries into secondary school placement bribes a year ago but failed to make its findings and recommendations public.

  • Video: SHS computerised placement for sale

    Video: SHS computerised placement for sale

    The only people with access and passwords to approve protocol placement into Category A senior high schools were the Education Minister and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

    This was done to prevent fraud, but The Fourth Estate’s investigations revealed that admission to these institutions was facilitated by a network of middlemen that included cleaners and security personnel.

    Additionally, it discovered that two state security agencies unexpectedly halted an inquiry into charges of corruption in the placement system that had been sought by the Director-General of GES.

    Watch the full investigative documentary by Adwoa Adobea-Owusu and Evans Aziamor-Mensah of The Fourth Estate.

  • Govt working to review tertiary programmes to suit job market – Education Minister

    Govt working to review tertiary programmes to suit job market – Education Minister

    The minister of education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has stated that his department is coordinating with the leaders of higher institutions to phase out any unnecessary programs.

    He asserts that several tertiary-level programs fall short of the needs of the labor market.

    The sector minister cited the lack of programs with connections to the labor market as the reason for the high unemployment rate in the nation while speaking at the 74th Annual New Year School at the University of Ghana.

    As a result, he underlined the government’s plans to improve the situation.

    http://backend.theindependentghana.com/you-cannot-order-a-reduction-in-fees-ug-lecturer-tells-education-minister/

    “So many students have enrolled in diploma in education. They’re being trained for jobs that do not exist. Thousands and thousands are graduating for jobs that do not exist … I’m fully aware and we’re engaging the Universities”, he said.

    “I think we need to focus on courses that have relevance to that particular student and to the nation.

    “We need to change course. Because unemployment invariably comes from the fact that we’re training the graduates for courses that don’t exist”, Dr Adutwum added.

    The minister’s opinions support the need for policymakers to focus education more on employment.

    Every year, Ghana’s unemployment rate rises as more recent graduates struggle to find meaningful employment.

    The situation has led to thousands of unemployed youth, some of whom have become depressed due to their state of idleness.

    Others have also been comepelled to abandon their certificates for menial jobs just to survive.

    http://backend.theindependentghana.com/education-minister-asks-gaming-commission-to-close-downs-betting-around-schools/

    Due to the situation, young male graduates have resorted to sports betting to come by some cash to make ends meet.

    Meanwhile, government maintains that it will be working around the clock to deal with the unemployment crisis.

  • Education Minister, public universities and GTEC to meet over tertiary fees

    Education Minister, public universities and GTEC to meet over tertiary fees

    The management of the public universities and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) have been invited by the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum, to a meeting on Thursday to discuss the concerns about the price increase.

    The Commission has ordered all public tertiary institutions to increase tuition for the upcoming academic year by no more than 15%.

    This instruction comes in response to many complaints voiced by university administrators and students regarding the increase in tuition charged by public colleges.

    Students at the University of Ghana claimed that administrators charged more than the fee increase that Parliament had authorized.

    Kwesi Kwarteng, the ministry’s public relations officer, claimed in an interview with Joy News that the ministry had stepped in to help fix the issue.

    “The Ministry has picked information, especially referencing the concerns that came from the student leadership that some of the universities are not complying with this directive and so consequently the Ministry has invited all the parties involved. The universities involved refer to KNUST, UCC, University of Ghana and cumulatively we have five universities in this category.

    “University of Ghana, for instance, they are not denying the fact that they have indeed usurped what Parliament has decided but they are giving us the justification explaining why they are unable to go by the directive of Parliament,” he said.

    The University of Ghana’s administration has challenged anyone who believes the university’s increased fee rates are unconstitutional to sue them.

    Professor Gordon Awandare, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University, defended the raise and stated that they are prepared to take anyone who disagrees with them to court.

  • Education Minister asks Gaming Commission to close downs betting   around schools 

    Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, wants betting shops near educational institutions to be closed down to discourage minors from using them.

    The establishment of betting centres near schools is prohibited by state law.

    The Gaming Act 2006 (Act 721) emphasises that betting centres are expected to operate 100 metres away from schools, churches, mosques, and other social facilities.

    However, some gaming centres are spotted around educational institutions across the country.

    Following this, the Education Minister, visited the headquarters of the Gaming Commission of Ghana on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, to deliberate on the way forward regarding the sanitization sanitising the space for the sake of minors.  

    During his visit, the minister urged the commission to ensure the strict enforcement of the gaming laws.

    He called for stringent measures to be taken against gaming facilities that violate the laws, particularly, those established very close to schools. 

    He, however, commended the Commission for its role in controlling operations in the industry. He further implored the Commission to critically examine the location of betting centres in the country, especially near schools.

    On how both institutions (i.e the Education Ministry and the Gaming Commission) can work together to prevent schoolchildren from engaging in gaming activities, Dr Adutwum declared his willingness to collaborate with the Commission to ensure this. 

    The Minister also appealed to the Commission to consider assisting people with betting addictions so they could move out of the addiction.

    The Education Minister called on all stakeholders in the country to help protect the youth of the country, who are preparing to take over the leadership of the country.

    Source: The Independent Ghana| Jessie Ola-Morris

  • Close down betting companies around schools – Education Minister to Gaming Commission

    The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has urged the leadership of the Gaming Commission of Ghana, to intensify efforts to close down betting companies that flout laws guiding their operations in the country.

    He cited the siting of betting facilities close to educational institutions to entice children as something needs to stop.

    According to him, the move would help prevent children from patronising such facilities located close to their institutions, and control the influx of children into such gaming centres contrary to provisions of the Gaming Act 2006 (Act 721) which guides their operations.

    Dr. Adutwum made the call when he visited the headquarters of the Gaming Commission of Ghana on Tuesday.

    The meeting was meant to help the two institutions have a candid discussion on issues relating to siting of betting facilities near educational institutions across the country and efforts to address this problem.

    Law enforcement

    The Education Minister lauded the Commission for its role in controlling operators in the space but urged them to be firm in enforcing rules and regulations in relation to their operations to bring some sanity to the gaming space.

    Close down betting companies around schools -Dr Adutwum to Gaming Commission

    He appealed to the Commission to have a critical look at the location of betting centres in the country, especially near schools and see what can be done to halt this practice.

    Dr. Adutwum pledged his preparedness to liaise with the Commission in relation to how to prevent school children from storming betting centres, especially during school hours in their own interest.

    Addiction management

    Again, the Minister appealed to the Commission to consider assisting people with betting addiction to stop the practice.

    The Education Minister called on all stakeholders in the country to help protect the youth of the country who are preparing to take over the leadership of the country.

    This, he said, could be done by looking at the interest of the nation first and putting in place the right policies and measures meant to help make gains for the nation.

    The Games Commissioner, Mr. Peter Mireku, eulogised the Education Minister for the visit and the discussion which would go a long way to get the best for the nation.

    He recounted various advocacy and sensitization interventions put in place by the Commission towards sanitising the gaming space in the country.

    Age, a global challenge

    The Commissioner indicated that although there are rules and regulations guiding the operation of games of chance in the country, the issue of age verification remains a bit of a challenge since some adults open betting accounts for use by minors.

    Mr. Mireku indicated that the Commission would continue to liaise with the Education Ministry and other institutions to help educate and sensitise school children on the laws against minors engaging in gaming as well as the impact of gaming on their academic work.

    Background

    Pursuant to the Gaming Act 2006 (Act 721), betting centres are expected to operate 100 meters away from Schools, churches, mosques and other social facilities.

    But the current situation whereby some gaming centres are spotted around educational institutions across the country prompted the Education Minister to visit the Commission for a discussion on how to sanitize the space for the sake of under-aged children as well as siting of the centres and the near schools across the country.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Kelly Rowland is on Ayra Starr’s Bloody Samaritan remix

    Fast-rising Nigerian singer Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, also known as Ayra Starr, has remixed her hit song Bloody Samaritan with American vocalist Kelly Rowland.

    The song which was released today, has already received positive feedback from social media users and music lovers.

    Given that she just dropped a single, Rush, from which fans are still enjoying, Ayra Starr appears to be destined for the top flight.

    She announced the release of the remix by posting a photo of herself and Rowland on her Instagram profile on Tuesday, September 27.

    While Kelly showcases her vocal skill in the song, the remix also features the vocals of Loud Urban Choir, whose cover was a social media sensation.

    The remix will be one of the extra songs Ayra includes on her upcoming Bloody Samaritan (deluxe) album.

    She wrote “Super excited to share this with you all. Someone I’ve always wanted to work with and it’s on my song Bloody Samaritan…the beautiful legend @kellyrowland out tomorrow!!!” she wrote in the caption”

    The 20-year-old star has songs like Overloading, Beggie Beggie, Rush, Love don’t cost a thing, Dime, Away Sare and Away to her credit.

    Source:graphic.com

     

  • GRAMMY Boss promises to make Ghana a ‘skill hunting and development centre’ for the world

    Grammy Awards Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jnr, has promised to help the Creative Arts Senior High School (CASHS) at Kwadaso.

    In an adomonline.com report, he noted that the finished creative school would become a hub of creative art skills hunting and development centre for the country, Africa and the rest of the world.

    Mr Harvey Mason made the declaration when he paid a courtesy call on the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in Accra.

    The GRAMMY CEO also added that he was prepared to help the school and assist it by turning it into a first-class innovative organization.

    Harvey Mason Jr’s visit to the Schooling Service happened after an exclusive dinner meeting with artistes while explaining how a musician can win a GRAMMY.

    As per the GRAMMY chief, to win a GRAMMY, one necessity is to live in the United States of America and be a part of the GRAMMY Academy.

    “In order to win a GRAMMY, first, you’ve got to be part of the Academy and then the membership of the Academy will vote for you.

    “If you are a member of the Academy, you’ve got to be a professional in the United States, for now, the United States,” he disclosed.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Release incarcerated KNUST students – Katanga Hall Alumni Association

    The Katanga Hall Alumni Association of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has petitioned the Education Minister over the arrest of three of its members.

    The Association in a correspondence asked for the release of the three students that have been remanded in police custody,

    According to them, the trio were held without charge for over 48 hours and only arraigned before the court.

    This, the Association believed, was unlawful since “they are considered innocent until proven guilty by a court of the land.”

    Last week, three more students of the KNUST were remanded into police custody in connection with the violent clashes on the campus.

    The three are Emmanuel Appiah Amoah aka Soldier Ba, Eugene Nuamesi and Kwabena Kwarteng Amaniampong aka Zongo Chief.

    This brought the total number of students arrested to five.

    However, the Association believes this incarceration is a knee jerk reaction to the issue pertaining to the frequent Katanga-Conti clashes.

    “We believe your drive for new ways of educating the Ghanaian youth places you in a unique position that makes you appreciate the dynamism of today’s Ghanaian youth.

    “We pray you to ensure the immediate release of these students held by the police while a thorough impartial, open investigation and a fair hearing for these young students are held,” parts of the petition read.

    The Association further called for a national dialogue on recent happenings resulting in violence on campuses.

    “We are convinced that you are the best person to intervene to resolve this matter with the urgency it deserves,” they stated.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Ghana can’t develop with the current crop of students – Adutwum

    Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has expressed serious concerns about how students are taught and educated in Ghana and across the African continent.

    He came to the conclusion that current educational practices do not promote critical thinking and thoughtful questioning in students.

    He claimed that in a time when people are independently developing innovative ideas and producing amazing things, this condition cannot guarantee the 21st century development that is necessary.

    Dr. Adutwum made these remarks at the “Transforming Education’ Summit at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 22nd, 2022.

    The Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe further said, “I went to schools upon schools and I spoke with some students. Whenever I finish speaking with them, I ask, do you have a question for me? And to my dismay, no hand goes up. A hand is yet to go up in all my encounters in Ghanaian classrooms.

    “We have tamed the children, we just want them to write down what we tell them. On the day of exam, they should put down what we have told them and say, you are the best student the country has seen.

    “That kind of education system will not transform Ghana. This kind of education system is not going to give us the critical thinking individuals, especially since we are in the 21st Century.”

    He added, “you can’t memorize your way out of poverty, but you can critically think and innovate out of poverty.

    “So Ghana schools, African schools have to begin to take a serious look at what I will call assertive curriculum, a curriculum that empowers the African child to ask questions and challenge the status quo.”

    He continued by saying that “no country can achieve sustained economic growth while ingrained poverty and learning and skill disparities harm human capital.”

    To rewire education for people and the planet, he, therefore, urged everyone to work together across sectors, levels, and stakeholders.

    Additionally, Dr. Adutwum promoted cooperation between all countries, international organizations, and the corporate sector to address the world’s educational concerns jointly.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Education Minister addresses UN Education Summit

    Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has addressed participants at the United Nations Educational Summit in the United States of America.

    Speaking on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, the Education Minister recounted how Ghana is making prudent investments in education to make the country and the world a better place.

    He told the Summit that education is not just the birthright of every child but it is also a powerful co-creator for progress in poverty reduction, health and sustainable development.

    He emphasised the need for a new way of working that reimagines education in a win-win partnership with the entire 2030 Agenda.

    Speaking at the launch dubbed, “Rewiring Education for People and the Planet Report”, Dr Adutwum highlighted the number of strategies that have been employed to reposition the entire education to produce a critical mass of empowered Ghanaian equipped with essential skills for socio-economic transformation.

    These and many other interventions, he said, have changed the face of Education in Ghana.

    “No country can deliver quality education where children are not able to learn because they are hungry, required to work or take care of their families,” he pointed out.

    He further added that “No country can attain sustainable economic growth where entrenched poverty and Inequalities in learning and skills undermine human capital

    He, therefore, called on everyone to work collaboratively across sectors, levels and stakeholders to rewire education for people and the Planet.

    Dr Adutwum also advocated collaboration between all nations, international organisations and the private sector to tackle global educational challenges collectively.

  • Ghanaian universities to admit medical students displaced by Ukraine war Education Minister

    Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has said Ghanaian medical students in Ukrainian schools who were displaced because of the war will be admitted into Ghanaian universities to complete their programmes.

    According to the Minister who was responding to questions in Parliament on Wednesday, a committee chaired by the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Nsiah Asare has been set up and has identified the affected students.

    He explained that the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) is conducting an audit of the list after which eligible students will be admitted into Ghanaian medical schools.

    “Mr. Speaker regarding what is happening to them now, I have inaugurated a committee chaired by Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, the Presidential advisor on health to compile the list of all students who were displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war.

    “The Committee comprises representatives of all stakeholders including the Deans of all medical schools in Ghana. So far, the Committee has collated information on 300 students. The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) is currently validating their credentials, once the process is completed the eligible students will be admitted into our Ghanaian universities at various levels,” he said.

    The Russian-Ukraine war which started a couple of months ago affected many people in diverse ways. One of such people is Ghanaian students studying in Ukraine who have to run for their lives and now seeking support to go back to the classroom to continue their studies.

    The Government in May established a 13-member committee to come out with guidelines to help absorb them into Ghanaian universities to continue their studies.

    The Committee is constituted as follows: representatives of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Health, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Medical and Dental Council, Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Vice Chancellors of Medical Schools, the Rector of College of Physicians and Surgeons among others.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Ghanaian universities to admit medical students displaced by Ukraine war Education Minister

    Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has said Ghanaian medical students in Ukrainian schools who were displaced because of the war will be admitted into Ghanaian universities to complete their programmes.

    According to the Minister who was responding to questions in Parliament on Wednesday, a committee chaired by the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Nsiah Asare has been set up and has identified the affected students.

    He explained that the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) is conducting an audit of the list after which eligible students will be admitted into Ghanaian medical schools.

    “Mr. Speaker regarding what is happening to them now, I have inaugurated a committee chaired by Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, the Presidential advisor on health to compile the list of all students who were displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war.

    “The Committee comprises representatives of all stakeholders including the Deans of all medical schools in Ghana. So far, the Committee has collated information on 300 students. The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) is currently validating their credentials, once the process is completed the eligible students will be admitted into our Ghanaian universities at various levels,” he said.

    The Russian-Ukraine war which started a couple of months ago affected many people in diverse ways. One of such people is Ghanaian students studying in Ukraine who have to run for their lives and now seeking support to go back to the classroom to continue their studies.

    The Government in May established a 13-member committee to come out with guidelines to help absorb them into Ghanaian universities to continue their studies.

    The Committee is constituted as follows: representatives of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Health, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Medical and Dental Council, Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Vice Chancellors of Medical Schools, the Rector of College of Physicians and Surgeons among others.

     

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • UTAG strike will end soon – Education Minister

    Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, says government is working around the clock to resolve issues of conditions of service of University of Teachers Association of Ghana(UTAG) to get the members back to the classroom.

    “I will do everything possible to ensure we come to an amicable conclusion of the issue.

    “This will bring joy on the faces of students who are waiting eagerly to go back to the lecture halls and begin academic activities,” he said.

    The Minister gave the assurance on Friday in Accra when he met with “Vice-Chancellors Ghana” to discuss the impasse between the Government and UTAG.

    Dr Adutwum said the Ministry would soon engage the leadership of UTAG and bring finality to the issues.

    Professor Abednego Okoe Amartey, the Chairman of Vice-Chancellors Ghana, described the meeting as fruitful and appealed to the teachers to go back to the lecture halls while negotiations continued.

    A High Court in Accra (Labour Division) on February 3, 2022, urged the leadership of the NLC and UTAG to settle the industrial action impasse out of court.

    The court, presided over by Justice Frank Rockson Aboadwe, gave the NLC and UTAG up to February 10, 2022 to report back.

    The fifteen branches of UTAG, however, continued the industrial action despite the directive from the NLC.

    UTAG, on Monday, January 10, 2022, embarked on industrial action over “worsening” conditions of service.

    The National Labour Commission after hearing their case on Thursday, January 13, 2022, ruled that the strike be called off because it was illegal and did not follow due process.

    Source: GNA

  • Education Minister sponsored 61 students to study engineering and medicine

    Minister of Education and MP for Bosomtwe constituency, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has again shown his commitment by sponsoring 61 students from his area to undertake medicine and engineering courses in the state tertiary institutions across the state the country.

    This adds to the already 30 engineering students he sponsored last year.

    These freshers will be studying at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University for Development Studies, University of Mines and Technology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, and Kumasi Technical University.

    The Minister also donated laptops to each of the students, paid their school, feeding, hostel fees, and transportation.

    Dr Yaw Adutwum explained his willingness to ensure that the quality and progress of education in the country are achieved.

    According to him, “My vision of ensuring that Bosomtwe gets 100 engineers within the next ten years is on course”.

    Source: ghanaguardian.com

  • Minister thanks corporate Ghana for supporting Teachers Prize award

    Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has lauded corporate organisations for their annual contributions to motivate teachers through the Ghana Teacher Prize (GTP) Award.

    Motivated teachers, Dr Adutwum said, would help them to give of their best to improve learning outcomes.

    The Minister said this in a speech read on his behalf in Accra at the GTP Sponsors’ Appreciation Day to award them for their dedication to the programme.

    The award is organised under the auspices of the National Teaching Council.

    He said the Ministry had since 1995 celebrated teachers through the GTP and had been possible and successful with the help of sponsors.

    “Your support in sustaining this initiative has been very handy and we highly appreciate it.

    “This year has been a difficult year for all businesses due to the effect of COVID-19, but our sponsors never abandoned their commitment to the event,” he said.

    Dr Adutwum said the sponsors’ efforts was fully appreciated because a well-motivated quality teacher always guaranteed better school outcome.

    The vision of government, he said was to transform education in the country and improve upon learning outcomes, stressing that teachers played a key role in the realization of the agenda.

    The Minister pledged the Ministry’s support for the award winners to compete for both the Global and Africa Union Teacher Prizes.

    Mr Christian Addai-Poku, the Registrar of NTC, said this year’s award ceremony was the number four trending news on social media, adding that this was achieved through proper planning, promotion and partnership with sponsors.

    He urged the organisations to sustain their support and appealed to other institutions to come on board and support the award to improve education in the country.

    Mr Ebenezer Kojo Otoo, a 44-year-old teacher of the Winneba Senior High School (SHS) in the Efutu Municipality of the Central Region, was crowned the 2021 National Best Teacher.

    For his prize, Mr Otoo received a GHS250,000.00 cheque for a three-bedroom house sponsored by GLICO Pension.

    Mr Otoo said the award came as a surprise to him and thanked God for the recognition, pledging to do more and build a viable society through quality teaching.

    Reverend Sister Jacinta Kwakyewaa, a tutor at the St. Francis SHS/Technical School in the Birim Central Municipality, Eastern Region, was adjudged the first runner-up and received a brand new 4×4 pick-up vehicle from the Prudential Bank.

    Mr Nelson Saviour Kwashie of the Awutu Swinton SHS in the Awutu Senya District of the Central Region was the second runner-up and was presented with a brand new saloon car from Databank.

    Cash prizes ranging between GHS5,000.00 and GHS7,000.00 as well as other valuable items were presented to other 17 deserving teaching and non-teaching staff, who distinguished themselves in other categories of the award, including Junior High, Primary and Kindergarten levels.

    The institutions which donated are Ghana Education Service Occupational Pension Scheme, GETFUND, Glico Pensions Trust, Prudential Bank Limited, SIC LIFE, Databank Limited, ABE Ventures, and Innolink Limited.

    The rest are UNICEF, UNESCO, Petra Trust, Investcorp, IC Giving, EPP Book Services, DHI College of Health and Education, Ghana National Association of Teachers, National Association of Graduate Teachers CCT, Teachers and Education Workes’ Union and Multimedia Group Limited as a media partner.

    Source: GNA

  • Local printing firms to print textbooks for basic schools Education Minister announces

    The government has ceded 100 percent of the printing of textbooks for pupils in basic schools to local printers.

    However, any publisher without an agreement with a local printer will not be considered.

    Consequently, all publishers who are already pre-qualified have been asked to present signed agreements with local printers.

    For a start, the textbooks to be printed will cover kindergarten to primary six.

    The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Friday, said: “Any publisher without an agreement with a local printer will not be considered in the offer.”

    Empowering local printers

    Explaining the idea behind the move, the minister said: “The whole idea is that we want to encourage and empower the local printing business.”

    “That is why we want to make sure that they come with an agreement with the local printers, which indicates the designated location of the local printer,” he added.

    Dr Adutwum said the government was aware of the capacity of local printers and was, therefore, determined that they get the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities.

    He gave an assurance that structures would be put in place to police publishers to ensure that no publisher nor printer took the contract outside the country.

    Although he fell short of pronouncing punitive measures against any publisher who might take the contract outside the country to print, it was clear that he had some severe measures up his sleeve.

    Capacity

    Dr Adutwum said so far, publishers had not made any request regarding permission to print a certain percentage abroad, as had been done previously, stressing that such request would not be permitted.

    “We have taken this position because there are local printers with the capacity who are competitive,” he said, adding that he knew of some local printers who could easily match the offers the Indians and the Chinese were offering to publishers.

    “The bottom line, for me, is that if we have those printers in the system, why would you want to go outside? And that is my point,” Dr Adutwum said.

    Asked when the printing would start, the minister explained that it was a process, adding that the first step had already been taken, which was the pre-qualification, and the next thing was for the publishers to submit quotations.

    Dr Adutwum acknowledged the fact that giving local printers the opportunity had a number of positive implications, adding that it would provide job opportunities for the youth.

    Background

    Previously, the printing of textbooks was mostly done outside the country, with local printers complaining that it was a disincentive to local businesses.

    In some cases, a minimal percentage was given to local printers, while the bulk of the printing was done outside the country.

    In 2016, however, the then government decided that the printing of textbooks for schools would be done by local printers, and by 2017 when the printing actually began, more than 40,000 people were employed in the sector.

    Aside from employment opportunities, the contract also afforded local printers the opportunity to build their capacity and expand their operations.

    Source: universnewsroom.com

  • Make Adutwum the substantive Education Minister Send Gh to Akufo-Addo

    Former Deputy Education Minister in charge of Second Cycle Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has demonstrated more than enough that he is capable of being the substantive sector minister, George Osei Bimpeh, Director, Send Ghana, has said.

    He has, therefore, indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should consider making the Bosomtwe lawmaker the substantive Minister in his second government.

    Dr Adutwum is credited with several initiatives at the Education Ministry including the double-track system to accommodate the high number of enrollment into the secondary schools following the implementation of the free senior high school programme.

    He founded the New Designs Charter Schools but prior to that, he worked as a Mathematics and Information Technology teacher at the Manual Arts High School for ten years and within this period, he founded the International Studies Academy which served as a small learning community for students to thrive academically and socially.

    He also served as the lead Maths teacher in the USC/ Manual Arts Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI).

    He was also part of the task force established by the National Research for Career and Technical to develop a national model for career and technical education in High School and College levels.

    Speaking in an interview with Dela Michel on the Mid Day news on TV3 Tuesday, January 12, while contributing to a discussion on the impending ministerial appointment by the President, Send Ghana boss, Mr Bimpeh said Nana Akufo-Addo should consider him for the substantive ministerial position because “he has demonstrated that he is more than fit to be the substantive minister.”

    Source: 3 News

  • Free SHS: Education Ministry denies engaging private schools

    The Ministry of Education has denied ever engaging with the private schools to discuss the possibility of extending the Free Senior High programme (Free SHS) to the various private schools.

    The Ministry has also denied meeting representatives of private schools after the launching of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, as is been suggested on social media.

    It has been reported on various social media platforms that the Education Ministry has met with private schools representatives to extend the free SHS programme to them soon after the launch of the NDC manifesto, which promised to do so if voted into power come December 7, 2020.

    According to ministry, the Minister Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in his engagements with the private schools’ representatives, never discussed the extension of Free SHS to private schools, adding that such publications should be disregarded.

    In a letter dated 13th September 2020, signed by the Press Secretary to the Education Minister, Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng, and copied to otecfmghana.com, the meetings with the private schools were held on Wednesday and Thursday, September 3 and 4, 2020, respectively.

    “On Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd September 2020, the Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh received delegations from the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNAPS) and the Ghana National Association Private Schools (GNAPS) at the Ministry to discuss a number of issues….” the letter noted.

    “It must be noted that both meetings were held before the launch of the NDC manifesto on Monday, September 7, 2020. In both instances, the discussions were around post-COVID-19 challenges in the education sector and the way forward, the reopening of schools, private schools and their livelihoods and the sustenance of their businesses,” it added.

    The letter continued that, “the general public is hereby invited completely disregard the opportunistic and desperate attempts to paint a contrary picture.”

    “Government remains commitment to ensuring the success of the free SHS programme to improve both access and quality education for Ghanaian children, and will not be side tracked from this objective,” the letter concluded

    Read statement below:


    Source: otecfmghana.com