The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has berated the Ministry of Education for what it called ‘the arbitrary manner’ in which major changes are made to the education sector. GNAPS argued that should the government through the Ministry of Education continue to run amok and implement major education reforms without proper consultation and due diligence, the education sector in Ghana will be run aground.
The President of GNAPS, Dr. Damasus Tuurosong speaking to A1 Radio in Wa, explained that it is unacceptable the conditions under which government wants to run education in the country. “There is nothing like planning ahead, you do not run education like that. If you intended to go for a semester, you [the government] should have planned a year ahead. All stakeholders are to be informed so they adjust their systems, whereby some consultations would have gone on. What are the teacher unions crying about?” he quizzed.
“People just wake up one fine morning with a dream that this should be done and they want to implement it immediately without convincing any stakeholders or without consultations. I do not know why they are running the system like that. It is very frustrating for us I must admit,” he added.
Dr. Tuurosong said the Ministry of Education has continually failed to provide the needed platform for stakeholders in education, like GNAPS, to share ideas and advise the government on the necessary steps to be taken to uplift the education sector in the country.
“Since the new Minister came into office, we have written to him several times to let us sit and talk. We have never had that opportunity. You do not know it all. In spite of whatever experience you have, you do not know it all,” he said.
Meanwhile, GNAPS has clarified that it would still run its trimester system as it is not affected by the new semester system introduced by the Ghana Education Service (GES). GNAPS indicated that prior to the reopening of public schools and the subsequent introduction of the new academic calendar by GES, private schools had already resumed and were following their own academic calendar.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Select Committee of Education and Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe has expressed some disquiet about the introduction of the new semester system for Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High School students. He spoke to Samuel Mbura on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East.
He argued that pupils at the lower levels of education may not be able to cope with the stress of the new system along with its attendant effects.
Four major teacher unions have also raised reservations about the announcement by the Ghana Education Service (GES) of a new academic calendar for public schools.
According to the teacher unions, the Service failed to engage widely before making the announcement.
A1radioonline.com|101.1|MHz Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
