Upper East Regional Director of Education, Augustine Ayirezang has revealed there is a steady decline in furniture supply to second cycle schools in the region. He says total furniture required as of the close of the 2018/2019 academic year stood at 17,896.
He has further disclosed that with a projected student population of 54,853 for the 2019/2020 academic year, the region will require a total of 22,883 furniture (mono desks) for all second cycle schools for teaching and learning.
Speaking during the 10th anniversary lecture of A1 Radio in Bolgatanga, the director said, “The furniture situation in our schools is still inadequate. This is not peculiar to only the Second Cycle Schools but the Basic Schools as well. In May, 2019, my monitoring of WASSCE [West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations] and Technical Examinations revealed that, in some schools during external examinations, students go to bed with their furniture for the fear that other students might pick them from the examination hall. This is definitely not a good story.”
He acknowledged that the region has benefited from a number of interventions and policies over the years including the Free Senior High School Policy but, however stated that some of the emergency/intervention projects in the schools were yet to be completed. He cited that projects in Bolgatanga Girls’ SHS and Tempane SHS are ongoing and this gives headache to headmasters and headmistresses because of the increase in students’ population and students’ need to be comfortable for effective teaching and learning.
Touching on students’ disturbances in schools, the director recounted that between November 2018 and July 2019, students of 10 schools in the region namely Zuarungu SHS, Kongo SHS, Kusanaba SHS, Saint Bernadtte Technical Institute, Bongo SHS, Sandema Senior High/Technical School, Bolgatanga Technical School, Sirigu Integrated SHS and Tempane SHS have all rioted.
Mr. Ayirezang condemned these disturbances and said they greatly affect academic activities. He was however, quick to add that these disturbances are not as a result of the introduction of the Free SHS Policy.
Speaking on the topic; ‘The implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy: The state of Upper East Schools’, with emphasis on infrastructure, enrollment, staffing and teaching and learning materials, the director also said the concept of the Free SHS Policy hinges on five broad pillars: quality, affordability, access, skills improvement and expansion of infrastructure.
On access, Mr. Ayirezang disclosed that from a total of 30 second cycle schools in 2016/2017 academic year to 34 schools in the just ended 2018/2019 academic year while enrolment trends over the past three years have had steady increase from 0.58% increase in 2017/2018 over that of 2016/2017 to approximately 9.2% in 2019 over the 2017/2018 academic year in the region.
He further indicated that the number of teachers in the region has seen a significant increase and core textbooks to schools were also encouraging. He said an average of four students per book (4:1) in 2016/2017 academic year to one student per book (1:1) in 2018/2019 academic year.
The A1 Radio’s 10th anniversary lecture was held in the studios of Upper East Region’s finest and media giant under the topic: ‘Contemporary reforms in Ghana’s educational sector: Which way forward?’ Other speakers included Rev. John Akparibo, Regional PTA Secretary in charge of second cycle institutions, Rev. Simon Asige, a retired educationist and Prof. David Millar, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of University for Development Studies and President of Millar Open University in Bolgatanga.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Ghana
