Ghanaian songstress Vera Hamenoo-Kpeda known popularly as MzVee recently opened up about a misconception she held before entering Senior High School (SHS), sharing her unexpected perspective on Home Economics.
Contrary to her initial belief that Home Economics was for lazy students, the artist admitted that she chose the subject due to a desire to avoid rigorous learning.
MzVee, who attended St. Mary’s Senior High School, confessed, “When I went to Secondary School, I chose Home Economics because I was lazy and didn’t want to learn, and then I figured it out.”
However, she soon realised that her assumption was far from accurate.
Reflecting on her experience, MzVee emphasized, “I came to understand that it was one of the toughest things to do.”
She highlighted the demanding nature of the practical aspects, acknowledging that they required considerable time and effort.
The singer concluded, “It was tough, and then that’s when I learned my first lesson that nothing in life is easy.”
Starting from the academic year 2024/2025, senior high school (SHS) Science students will no longer be mandated to study Core and Elective Mathematics as separate examinable subjects.
Instead, they will be required to undertake Additional Mathematics, according to information provided by Professor Edward Appiah, the Director-General of the National Council and Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA).
Professor Appiah further clarified that Science students will no longer study Integrated Science, given their focus on Pure Science. This shift in requirements echoes the educational system in the country post-independence before major reforms introduced the junior high school (JHS) and senior high school (SHS) system.
In an exclusive interview with Graphic Online’s Education Editor, Severious Kale-Dery, Professor Edward Appiah explained that students pursuing General Arts, Business, Home Economics, and Visual Arts would now take Integrated Science, which will transform into General Science and Modern Mathematics instead of Core Mathematics.
This directive aligns with the introduction of standard-based and common core curricula for basic and junior high schools. The Ministry of Education has revised curricula for pre-tertiary schools, aiming to shift from rote learning to fostering critical learning skills.
The current JHS students will undergo the maiden edition of the common core Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Professor Appiah outlined that the current JHS 3 students started with the common core in JHS One, and their BECE will be based on the common core curriculum.
NaCCA has completed a trial test of the common core curriculum for SHS students, scheduled to commence in the 2024/2025 academic year. The trial involved categorizing the country into three zones, selecting schools for the test, and gathering feedback for finalization.
The Director-General highlighted that the final trial test of the document would be conducted in 31 schools across the country and concluded by July. The new academic year, starting in September, will see a return to the old academic calendar, with JHS 3 students beginning the SHS common core curriculum.
Professor Appiah emphasized the change in the mode of assessment, moving towards a continuous, multiple assessment system throughout the academic year, offering a more holistic evaluation of students’ progress.
The Member of Parliament (MP)representing the Ablekuma North constituency, Sheila Bartels, has highlighted her achievements since taking office on January 7, 2021.
During an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday, the MP outlined her contributions to enhancing the constituency’s road infrastructure and bringing improvements to the education and health sectors.
Bartels shared that she provides free provisions for first-year Senior High School (SHS) students and conducts complimentary extra classes for BECE candidates.
Additionally, she proudly mentioned fully sponsoring three students to university and six students to SHS this year.
“Since I became MP, our major problem has been roads so that was my primary target. We have so far done several roads in the constituency. We have also fixed damaged traffic lights. When it comes to education, I have built and renovated some school blocks in my constituency.
Every year I give BECE free extra classes and give provisions to SHS goers. I have also sponsored three students to the university. We have also provided equipment for our municipal hospital and every year we offer free health screening,” she said.
Addressing the prominent issue of roads in the constituency, Bartels emphasized her focus on road construction and the repair of damaged traffic lights.
In the realm of education, she disclosed her efforts in building and renovating school blocks within her constituency.
Bartels reiterated her commitment to education by offering annual free extra classes for BECE candidates and distributing provisions to SHS students.
Beyond education, she has sponsored three students to university and provided equipment for the municipal hospital, organizing free health screenings every year.
Confident in her leadership, Bartels believes she is the right candidate to lead the New Patriotic Party to victory in the 2024 general election. Currently seeking re-election, she faces competition from former MP Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie in the January 27 NPP parliamentary primaries.
Recent findings have brought to light a troubling statistic: between 2019 and 2021, a staggering 51.9% of female students in Ghanaian Senior High Schools endured instances of sexual assault.
This revelation stems from a report jointly produced by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Girls Excellent Movement (GEM), titled “Sheltered yet Exposed.”
According to the report, a majority of the assaulted girls, specifically 54.3%, were between the ages of 17 and 22, while the remaining 45.7% fell within the 11 to 16 age range.
The perpetrators of these assaults included friends, family friends, schoolmates, teachers, and strangers.
The breakdown of the perpetrators revealed that friends accounted for 24%, family friends 12%, schoolmates 12%, teachers 10%, and strangers 9%.
Juliana Ama Kplorfia, the Founder and Executive Director of GEM, expressed her concern during an event organized by the Center for Social Justice (CSJ) with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Ghana.
She cited uncles, cousins, neighbors, fathers, and fathers-in-law as additional groups responsible for sexually assaulting SHS girls.
Kplorfia attributed these distressing incidents to a range of challenges, including academic, financial, and mental stressors, which left some victims grappling with depression, trauma, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and panic attacks. Tragically, some of these girls ended up dropping out of school.
Kplorfia called upon the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to allocate resources to counseling units within schools, emphasizing the importance of effective support systems to protect vulnerable girls from predators.
She also stressed the need to make reporting rape and sexual harassment incidents free of charge and eliminate taxes on sanitary pads, making them freely available to female students.
Furthermore, she urged parents to maintain vigilant oversight of their children to prevent them from becoming targets of sexual predators.
A troubling storm seems to be brewing in one of Ghana’s prestigious Senior High Schools, Adisadel College, as there have been recent reports of bullying in the school.
Chilling accounts of seniors unleashing all forms of abuses on their subordinates or juniors in the name of ‘seniority’ now stand exposed, casting a chilling light on the silent suffering endured by students.
A brave parent has stepped forward to attest to this harrowing reality, sharing more heart-wrenching revelations that have shaken the very foundation of the revered educational institution.
In an interview with General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV, who doubles as the host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, the parent who spoke on anonymity, said
What was initially trivialised and regarded as a normal school culture, was later discovered to be a severe nightmare for most students, especially his son who is currently in his second year in school.
Mr Addo (nor his real name) said his son came home after his first vacation, lamenting bitterly over the situation.
“Initially, I laughed over it since I have been a student and I have been there before and I know that it’s part of school life but then, he came home during his second and he said they could not even sleep due to torment from their seniors who were completing school,” he said.
“They [seniors] use the hook of belts to flog them [juniors] and when they are coming, they come in a group like 8, 10, 20. So when they come, you can’t do anything and they will be beating you from any angle.
He also recounted an incident where his son was given 50 pesewas to buy 20 sachets of water.
“They gave my boy 50 pesewas to go and buy about 20 sachets for the seniors and he said I don’t have anything on me. How can I use 50 pesewas to buy 20 sachets of water? That was the only thing he told them. How they beat my boy. I was so mad and that is why I called the master,” he said.
He added that upon reaching out with a complaint to a teacher about the incidents, he was told that even the highest authorities cannot do anything about the situation.
So the teacher told me even the Senior House master when they are walking they walk with a cutlass. The House masters while walking on campus, some of them put some gadgets on them because they are scared of the students. Because they can be attacked,” he said.
This comes on the back of a trending video which made waves on social media in which a student from the Adisadel college, a renowned institution for nurturing young minds and shaping future leaders, is seen bullying another student.
Reports indicate that the incident was over a SIM which belonged to the recipient of the abuse, which had been seized by the abuser.
The Ghana Education Service and school authorities have taken up the matter and spelled out sanctions to both perpetrators and the recipient of the abuse, as well as the student who recorded the incident and others who were in the dormitory and refused to report the incident.
Seth Nayo, a 23-year-old Senior High School (SHS) Form Two student, has been sentenced to seven years of hard labor in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Class Six pupil.
Seth Nayo admitted his guilt during his appearance before the Jasikan Circuit Court, where Judge Alfred Kwabena Asiedu presided over the case and delivered the conviction.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Vincent Kpodo, Prosecutor, said the complainant was the victim’s guardian while the victim was in Class 6.
He said the victim was fast asleep in her room alone when suddenly she felt someone covering her mouth, holding her neck, and having sexual intercourse with her on July 10, 2023, at about 1200 hours.
He said the convict then stood up from the victim and escaped leaving the victim to her fate.
ASP Kpodo said the victim went and informed a co-tenant, who was a witness in the case about the incident.
He said the witness also immediately informed the complainant about how the victim had earlier informed her about the incident.
ASP Kpodo said the complainant reported the case to the Jasikan Police, while a medical form was issued for the complainant to send the victim to the hospital for examination.
He said the report on the victim corroborated her story.
Asiedu, in sentencing the accused, said the student was a first-time offender and therefore attracted the minimum punishment in terms of defilement and to serve as a deterrent to other young people, who would want to engage in such acts.
The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee in Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, has emphasized the need for a comprehensive audit of the government’s Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.
Such an audit would help uncover the challenges faced during the implementation of the policy.
This call follows the recent protest by members of the National Food Suppliers Association, who staged a picketing exercise at the premises of the National Buffer Stock Company due to an outstanding debt of 270 million cedis.
However, the association has decided to suspend the picketing after receiving assurances from Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Food Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, that they will receive their payment by July 17, 2023.
In a statement, Dr. Clement Apaak highlighted the evident inconsistencies in the total amount invested in the FSHS program from 2017 to 2021. He further emphasized that it is apparent that the total funding allocated for the specified period was not fully utilized.
“The actions of the one behind that audio, for me, pass for treason and this matter must be dealt with as such, it passes for treason, it is an attempt to subvert the will of the Ghanaian people in 2024, and the ramifications can be very dire. We do not dismiss what has been said, the revelations in that audio are very serious and so for me, rather than dismiss what is contained in the audio, I will urge the Interior Minister to take steps very quickly to get to the bottom of the matter and persons suspected to be responsible for that audio need to be investigated.”
The interior minister, Ambrose Dery, has denied rumors that leaders of the in power New Patriotic Party (NPP) are plotting to have the Inspector General of Police removed.
Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, famously known as Lawyer Nti, has stated that he discovered his passion for acting during his senior high school (SHS) years.
He gained popularity through his portrayal of the character in the well-known TV series Kejetia vs Makola, which humorously depicts Ghana’s legal and judicial system.
“The first time I saw my colleagues act on stage was when I was in senior secondary school,” he said, adding: “The feeling I got, I just knew this is for me.”
He noted that he was “a very good Business student,” at the time, but he went to see his assistant headmaster and informed him that he believed acting “was what I think I should be doing”.
“I should be acting, I should be focusing on acting and directing so that’s what I want to pursue,” he remembered telling the school official.
According to Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, the assistant headmaster at his senior high school (SHS) informed him about his options if he wanted to pursue acting as a career. He was told that he could choose between the University of Media, Arts and Communication’s (UniMAC) National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the University of Ghana’s (UG) School of Performing Arts.
Amoakoh expressed a preference for UG, Legon, over NAFTI because he was unfamiliar with the latter. Additionally, he believed that UG was prestigious and a school that his mother would approve of, despite knowing that changing his course of study would lead to controversial conversations at home.
Before taking his official “form-three examinations” in SHS, Amoakoh decided to write the popular November-December (Nov-Dec) remedial examination. Although he achieved excellent results, he chose not to immediately pursue university education.
“My first [real] acting was in the School of Performing Arts,” he mentioned, noting he was “raw” unlike his mates who had prior experience in acting.
According to Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, he approached his acting journey with the mindset of being open to learning and being molded. He expressed the attitude of “I’ve come, train me, shape me,” and he acknowledged that the school he attended fulfilled that role.
When Nana Kwesi Asare asked Lawyer Nti about which of his parents he believes he inherited his acting talent from, Amoakoh’s response is not mentioned in the given context.
“I think it’s God,” he answered.
“Well, my mother too has some talent,” he added, explaining: “She can mimic people so well.”
According to Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, he believes that his mother has a talent for doing impressions of others, particularly imitating their voices.
Eight including a Senior High School (SHS) student, have sustained injuries after two buses collided on the Kasoa-Malam highway on Wednesday morning, July 5.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the sprinter bus (with registration number GR 6669-13) lost control of the steering wheel when another vehicle merged into the lane, leading to the bus spinning and crashing.
Passersby came to the aid of the injured passengers and rescued them from the accident site. They were swiftly transported to nearby healthcare facilities for immediate medical attention.
During the police investigation at the scene, it was uncovered that the driver responsible for the accident lacked the necessary license to operate the vehicle. Instead of holding a class C license as required, the driver possessed only a class B license.
“I was travelling to Madina but on our way our driver was careless. Another car switched lanes and I don’t know what happened and all of a sudden the vehicle somersaulted. It wasn’t any serious thing but the driver as a result of his inexperience caused the vehicle to fall,” Akwesi Acquah a passenger said.
“I thank God that I am alive because what happened was serious. A lot of people sustained severe injuries and have been rushed to the hospital”.
Management of St. Monica Senior High School (SHS) has begun an investigation into the death of one of its students.
In a report by The Chronicle Newspaper on May 29, 2023, it was revealed that a student, Patience Amaning, who was studying General Art at the school, had been unwell for a period of time.
Despite her attempts to obtain permission to seek medical attention outside of the school, her request was reportedly denied, leading to her unfortunate demise.
In response to this tragic incident, the school authorities have established a committee of inquiry to investigate the cause of the student’s death.
Teachers of Senior High Schools (SHSs) teachers across the country will soon benefit from a sum of GHS 62 million released by the government as their intervention grants.
According to The Chronicle newspaper, the grant forms part of incentives the government is providing to motivate SHS teachers.
It added that the grant is also to motivate teachers to provide extra tuition to all SHS students beyond normal school hours.
The report also indicated that a statement issued by the Minority of Education said that the grant is also to ensure that the quality of education provided at SHSs in Ghana is enhanced and sustained.
“It’s a commitment to ensuring smooth, timely, and efficient resource distribution in our quest to improving and sustaining quality education in Ghana,” parts of the statement is quoted.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng, has said that the government remains committed to resolving all the challenges faced by SHS across the country.
According to him, the government takes full responsibility for the current infrastructure deficit in schools because of the increasing number of enrolments.
“… we take full responsibility and assure all Ghanaians that, wherever there are challenges, we’ll go in and resolve them,” he said.
The PRO, however, posited that the infrastructure challenge is caused by schools indicating that they have vacant facilities while they have not.
“I’m still wondering why you could declare that you could take, for instance, 500 boarding students while you know very well that there are no spaces or beds for them,” he added.
The National Council of Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) is urging the government to stop politicizing education in the nation.
The association contends that the over-politicization of the free Senior High Schoolpolicy can largely be blamed for the many challenges bedevilling the policy.
Stakeholders in the education sector have raised concerns about the many challenges associated with the free SHS policy including non-availability of infrastructure for teaching and learning, shortage of food items among others.
Speaking to Citi News, Public Relations Officer of the Association, Madam Irene Sam, called on parents to support government efforts in the education sector.
“If you want to play politics with the policy [free SHS], this is where we are going to be. We are not going to progress and make ends meet. We need to address the challenges, we shouldn’t play politics with it. Education is education, when we say politics, it means that what is not there, they say it’s there.”
“But we are looking at the issues on the ground, when you go to the schools now, our wards are not in good shape, and we cannot sit down and watch them like that. We have to come out, we know that government has tried too much, the budget for education is huge,” Madam Irene stated.
Reacting to the reopening date for SHS one students, which has been slated for February 20, 2023, Madam Irene, called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to come out with a new date.
“We want to add our voices to the general public’s sentiments concerning Ghanaian parents who are now going to gather resources before their wards go to school. So we are looking at the state of time which is going to be an inconvenient time for our parents.”
“On our part, we are looking at the fact that the GES should come again, and see how best we can give them at least ample time for them to prepare and go through the admission process before they resume,” the Public Relations Officer of the Association appealed.
The double-track system used in Senior High Schools will not be aborted this year, this is according to the executive director of the education think tank Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare.
Speaking in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Asare explained that the Senior High School infrastructure projects started bygovernmentin a bid to end the system have been affected by the country’s liquidity situation.
“When the double-track system was announced in 2018, government said that it was going to run for five years. Unfortunately, efforts to end the double track have brought financial stress. Ending the double track means putting up more infrastructure. Government went for a loan, the cedi equivalent of 1.5 billion dollars, and later converted it into a bond. 3 years into the loan, only about 3.2 million dollars has been disbursed.”
“Last year, about another 1.2 billion dollars was supposed to be raised from the bond. But then two things happened last year, the first was high levels of inflation, especially in the construction sector, coupled with the low demand for bonds. This means that financing undoing infrastructure projects across SHSs will be difficult. This means that the double-track system may go on for some time until we see an improvement in the liquidity situation.”
Some parents and guardians have criticised government for its supposed arrogance and indifference toward the lamentation of food shortages in senior high schools.
Calling into Joy FM’s Super Morning Show during an interview with the Education Ministry’s Spokesperson, listeners were furious about the ‘praise singing’.
The Spokesperson, Kwasi Kwarteng, had earlier said there were abundant food supplies at schools including PRESEC-Legon, St Thomas Aquinas SHS and Konongo SHS.
However, parents who called into the Morning Show were of a different view.
While some lamented about the impact of the food shortage on their wards others fumed about the arrogance Mr Kwarteng portrayed on the show.
“What is he saying? He should just humble himself and listen to the concerns. He cannot just come and sit on radio and sing his praises. We all know that our kids are suffering in school, they [our wards] tell us that they are not being fed well.
“Has the PRO been roaming in all the SHS schools in Ghana? Headmasters are being victimized and when you are being informed, the arrogance you are exhibiting. You don’t even want people to talk,” one Fred fumed.
Another caller known as Adu-Gyamfi added, “The PRO threw a challenge to you in the studio that follow him with your cameras to any SHS and I can bet my last pesewa including my haircut that there is no food supply in Schools.”
Meanwhile, Mr Kwarteng acknowledged the challenges the Education Minister has taken full responsibility for the current food crisis.
He further noted that Ministry is working earnestly to resolve the challenges across the country.
President Akufo-Addo says he is hopeful the outcome of the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) negotiations would tackle the high cost of living in the country.
He admitted the cost of living was high but was optimistic that the package of measures which would accompany the IMF programme would address the economic issues successfully and reduce the hardship on Ghanaians.
“Yes we are going through difficulties but at the same time we trying to do well in other areas, the fundamentals of government policy is working. We have about 120 One District, One Factory completed and 300 of them in the pipeline,” he said.
President, Akufo- Addo made these statements at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region on Friday when he spoke to the media as part of his three-day tour of the Eastern Region.
Speaking on concerns made by some persons to review the free Senior High School (SHS) policy, the President said he was a bit skeptical about it.
He argued “I have to confess my attitude when I hear the word review I hesitate because, first people who spoke about the review are people who opposed the policy in the first place and so if someone who did not want the policy comes to tell us that we should review it then my understanding is that he is to review the policy to reverse it.”
According to the President, the two fundamental thrust of the policy which was to expand access that has been dramatically achieved.
“The other was to include quality outcomes of education and I must say The outcomes of the free SHS graduates are a major improvement on the free SHS data that we have whether it is mathematics or integrated science, english across the board.”
President Akufo-Addo added that each of these areas of study has seen a significant increase in the results of the students.
President Akufo-Addo said reviewing these two thrusst of the policy and the improvement made will somehow be compromised, adding the country cannot tamper with the two fundamentals.
He said “as a country, we have ensured that nobody in the country, no matter their social origin and financial background should be denied access to good quality secondary education and added that for the past five years, the implementation of the policy has been established.”
He indicated that so far, his government have been able to financially sustain the free SHS policy and would continue to sustain it.
The President later attended an official opening of the NPP National Executives and directors Training and Orientation Conference at Rock City in the Abetifi Constituency.
He then proceeded to Nkawkaw to inspect the construction of the Nkawkaw-Abirem- Ofoase -Akim Oda road Project.
President Akufo Addo later paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Ofoase, inspected the construction of the Ofoase-Ayirebi Agenda 111 hospital project and departed to Akyem Asuboa in the Asene Manso Akroso constituency to inspect a similar project.
The National Blood Service of Ghana, in conjunction with the Kwaaba Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has launched an Inter-school Blood Donation Tracker App to track voluntary donations by Senior High Schools (SHS) around the country.
The App counts the units of blood donated by each school in the districts and regions.
It is expected to acknowledge the critical role second-cycle schools play in replenishing blood banks nationwide and reward their efforts.
Dr Shirley Owusu Ofori, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, the National Blood Service of Ghana, said: “Our students already do well in donating blood, but it is still important to inculcate in them the spirit of giving to save lives.”
The Inter-school Blood Donation Tracker App project was launched in Koforidua during the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools in April this year, where over 700 heads of SHS convened to examine secondary education in Ghana after more than three decades of existence.
Attendees discussed numerous educational topics in keeping with the anniversary theme: “60 Years of Shaping Second-cycle Education in Ghana, the Challenges and Successes in Contemporary Times—the Role of Stakeholders.”
Dr Ofori called on heads of the various SHSs to the Conference to support the campaign to generate a buzz like other inter-school activities such as sports, maths and science quizzes.
“So, whenever the Blood Service comes to your school for a blood donation exercise or your school visits a hospital to donate blood, please make sure they are using the Blood Donation Tracker App for your school’s effort to be recognised and rewarded,” she said.
Maame Kwaaba Stephens, Founder of the Kwaaba Foundation, and Brand Ambassador for the National Blood Service in Ghana urged the media to promote the inter-school blood donation campaign.
She called on the media to give it the publicity needed to create awareness, adding: “If the media does not cover it, the public will not be aware of it. Donating blood is a gesture of solidarity; blood connects us all.”
“The second cycle schools give the most blood, to the extent that when the schools are on break the blood banks run dry,” she added.
Maame Stephens said any person at age 17 and upwards could donate blood but would have to go through screening to make sure the prospective donor was fit, healthy, and had enough blood to give out.
“It is the excess blood that is not performing any function in you that we need,” she added.
Kwaaba Foundation focuses on health, socio-economic empowerment and other community initiatives.
Senior High School (SHS) graduates with top grades and genuine financial need are encouraged to apply for the Izwe Scholarship Fund to pursue undergraduate or comparable tertiary programs of their choosing for the 20222023 academic year.
“The fund is activated annually to help selected candidates through their whole tertiary education as part of Izwe’s continuous commitment to positively influence lives through sponsorededucation,” said the company’s chief executive officer, Raymond Kwakye Bismarck.
The scholarship aims to empower our young people to influence change and contribute to Ghana’s development through building their capacities.
The scholarship fund is available for the minimal amount of time required by the student’s preferred educational institution for them to finish their academic program.
The recipient of the scholarship will be able to pursue their chosen degree since the requisite academic user fees and authorized course textbooks will be paid for.
Eligibility
Applicant must be a Ghanaian SHS graduate in need of financial support for tertiary education. They must have a Senior High School certificate with a maximum grade of aggregate 10 and not be older than 22 years of age. Applicant must have also gained admission to any of the public tertiary universities in Ghana. First-year students currently at any public university who meet the criteria above can also apply.
How To Apply
Applicant must complete an application form at www.izwe.com.gh including a brief motivating write up (500 words) on why the applicant should receive the scholarship. Finally, evidence of eligibility detailed above is required (i.e. SHS certificate from School attended & result slip, birth certificate, Letter of admission to tertiary institution etc).
Deadline for Submission of Application: 25th August 2022.
About Izwe
Izwe Savings and Loans Plc is a subsidiary of the Izwe Africa Group, which is now headquartered in Mauritius and operates in Zambia and Kenya with Support from South Africa.
After operating in Ghana for over a decade, Izwe, a non-bank financial institution, specialises in personal finance loans, business loans, asset-backed finance, savings & investment and offers tailored to the needs of people from all walks of life including entrepreneurs, traders, teachers, soldiers, healthcare workers, business owners and any small to medium sized enterprise.
In a statement, it said there have been food shortages for the past two years, as well as struggles with reduced weight of food items supplied.
“Suppliers of food items for some time now have been supplying underweight items to the schools. An example is 100 kg of Maize has been reduced to 50 kg or 60 kg,†the group noted in a statement.
It also complained about arrears in schools because of the erratic release of funds meant for perishable foods.
Since 2021, funds meant for recurrent [expenses], have been released once. By extension, recurrent funds are in arrears since 2021 and 6 months into 2022,†the group explained.
Because of these challenges, the group is considering the closure of schools if nothing changes by July 15.
It is also considering recommendations that parents “either feed their wards or pick them home until all the situations are normalised.â€
The Education Ministry gave assurances that by July 12, the challenges would have been addressed
But schools are still complaining about the shortages despite the commitment made by the government.
The mandate of the committees among others is to look into the feasibility and sustainability of the organisations, especially in recent times when there are reports of food shortage in Senior High Schools and the demand from school feeding caterers for an increment in the cost of feeding students.
Headteachers of some secondary schools in the Northern Region have revealed that student turnout in schools have been low since schools partially resumed on June 20th,200.
Final year students and second-year gold track students have been asked to return to school to enable the final years prepare adequately ahead of their final exams and the second year to also complete their term.
A visit by GhanaWeb on Thursday, June 25, 2020, to 3 Senior High Schools in the region showed that attendance have been very low.
At the Ghana Senior High School(Ghanasco) only 493 out of 1433 students had reported; at Dabokpa Technical Institute(DABTEC), 90 out of 560 students had reported and Vittin Senior High School was not spared either.
Hajia Amina Musah, Headmistress of Ghanasco indicated that, though the number of students reported have not been encouraging, she was of the hope majority of the students will arrive for classes to effectively commenced.
She said they have received their own package of the Personal Protective Equipment(PPEs) as promised by the government which she said, will be enough to cater for the students throughout their stay in school.
She added that the presidential directive to have a maximum of 25 students in a class will be duly observed.
Hajia Amina Musah advanced that an arrangement has been made to have fifteen(15) to a dormitory for the female students and twenty(20) to a dormitory for the male students.
“They will be eating in badges, the form three’s(3) will eat and come out and for the form two’s(2) to go in and eat. We have a challenge of a fence wall and how to control the movement of students in and out. We have talked to the students and we have told them the need to stay in school, we have told them that the school is more or less a quarantine, there is no entry, no exit, nobody goes out and nobody comes in, so if they stay in school, it will help us reduced the risk of the virus,” She explained.
The headmistress was optimistic that, students will abide by the rules and as well observed the protocols, stay in school, and do not attempt to dodge away from school after haven reported.
“We have told them the consequences of doing that, if you leave the school and we get you we are going to send you away, until it’s time for you to write the exams, and parents will have to escort you to the school to write your exams and they will wait for you and as you finish writing your paper then they take you away so that you don’t become a risk factor for the rest of the students.
“We are encouraging them to come, we want them to know that, just as their parents are protecting them, we are equally their parents when they come to school, and we shall also protect them when they come here. They shouldn’t fear, they should come.” Hajia Amina urged.
The trending Senior High School Comics of Girls of all courses
Trending high school girls comic
Can Say Can Do brought Senior high school comics which had been trending. The senior high school girls comics.This is also women empowerment people were talking about. These are the following course of girls and their comic pictures.
1.General Science girls
General Science girls are termed as smart and intelligent.They are pretenders.They are sweet loving girls.Boys normally like to sit with boys because of science girls .This make them termed as “dining mafia”.They are coded liar and very difficult.
2.General Arts girls
In fact, General Arts girls are the cutest.They are very fashionable.They always behave like “Slay Queens”.They are argumentative and talkatives. They are sweet liars. They are sports women and selfie goddess.
3.Visual Arts
They are dependable.They do not rely on any one.They are very understanding.They are snitches.They are intelligent and smart.They do not know how to lie and they are lazy.
4.Business Girls
Business girls are the most cleverst of all.They are very confident about their decision.They are kind hearted.They do like they know everything in the world.They are slow poisoners.Business girls are very dramatic and goes straight to the point when talking.
5. Technical girls
Technical girls are very pretty and “guy guy”.The technical girls are fashion lovers and tough.Technicals girls are the most stubborn of all.
6.Agriculture girls
V
Agriculture girls are very hard working and fun loving.They like having fun.They are kind of being shy.They like food a lot and very naughty.They are talk backs and makes them argumentative.They think very deep.
7.Home Economics girls
Home Economics girls are very cheerful. They are very good cooks (junior chef). They bully junior years a lot.They are also girls gang leader. They like making noise a lot. They are romantic and sexy
Which one are you or your friend, sister or girlfriend is?
Zoomlion Ghana, a waste management and sanitation company has started disinfestation and fumigation exercises against viruses, bedbugs, and rodents in 147 Senior High Schools in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions.
The exercise, expected to last for 10-days is aimed at keeping the dormitories and classrooms clean to stem the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
About 1,700 spraying gangs have been engaged to undertake the exercise in private, public, and special schools in the regions.
Before the commencement of the exercise at Saint James Seminary/Senior High School at Abesim in the Sunyani Municipality, Mr. George Manu, Jobs Manager at the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional office of the company said the exercises were being conducted nationwide by the government.
He said 18 schools in the Sunyani Municipality would benefit and expressed the hope that with the cooperation of the educational heads, the exercise would yield the desired results.
Dr. Peter Atafuah, the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regional Director of Education said rodents and bedbugs were difficult to control in the schools and commended the government for the intervention.
Government has, in its bid to address infrastructural challenges in senior high schools, began processes into the construction of a total of 962 school structures nationwide, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The president explains that, there is an elaborate program designed to ensure that problems faced by second cycle schools as a result of the introduction of the Free SHS are addressed.
Addressing the audience at the 68th Speech and Prize Giving Day ceremony of the Opoku Ware Senior High School in Kumasi, Nana Akufo-Addo said government is committed to make heavy investments in education.
“We are investing heavily in infrastructure, particularly in our double track schools. Here at Opoku Ware School, for example, Government has already completed the construction of a twelve-unit classroom block, which I understand is currently in use, together with the provision of 1,500 sets of tables and chairs. Government is constructing a new four-storey dormitory block, work on which is progressing steadily. In total 962 structures are being constructed in schools across the country,†President Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo stated that addressing the infrastructure deficit “was an excellent and exciting one because more children wanting to go to school beyond Junior High School was good news.â€
“Our position is that every child who qualifies to be in Senior High School must be given the opportunity to do so,†he noted.
He further said the provision of access to 1.2 million children entailed innovation in the usage of the resources available, and “it is out of this that the idea of the double-track system was born, a system that has worked well in many other jurisdictions.â€
Commenting on the double-track system, President Akufo-Addo said government has been able to ensure the best possible use of the space and assets available in schools, throughout the year.
“Schools, that operate the double-track system, have increased their SHS 1 intake by up to fifty percent (50%) of their usual capacity. This has given many young students a better opportunity to enter our elite schools, such as Opoku Ware, than was previously the caseâ€, he added.
President Akufo-Addo assured that every district, municipal and metropolitan directorate of education will receive a pick-up vehicle to help deliver quality education.
“I assure all of you that Government will deal with the issues as they arise, and ensure that we continue to invest in the education and skills training of our young people, as the investment represents the best hope for the social and economic future of our country,†the President added.
