New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alex Afenyo Markin, has said that government could consider taxing Ghanaians in order to accrue funds to finance its flagship free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

According to him, sustaining the policy was so crucial that risking the ire of Ghanaians by imposing a special tax to fund it will not be out of order.

The implementation of the Free SHS policy has come under fire from members of the opposition who have pointed at the challenges faced by the government as a sign that the programme was ill-fated.

A former Deputy Education Minister and NDC MO for North Tongu, said the amount allocated for the policy in the 2018 budget, is woefully inadequate.

But Afenyo Markin believes that, with more investment needed in providing infrastructure for the schools across the country, funds accrued from a special tax for the Free SHS policy could complement the sector’s budgetary allocation.

“The focus now should be expanding infrastructure and making facilities available. And even if it means government taking the bold step to tax Ghanaians for the purpose of financing or making sufficient resources available for the sustenance of the Free SHS, that bold decision should be taken,” he said.

‘Pleased with voluntary fund’

The government announced that it would set up a fund to receive voluntary contributions from individuals to support the implementation of the free SHS programme and the educational sector as a whole.

However, this plan has been criticized by the Minority who believe this is an indication that government does not have the funds to properly implement its much-touted programme.

The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the government cannot afford to rely on voluntary contributions to fund education, particularly free SHS, as projections for those funds may not materialize.

“No country runs public education on just voluntary funds. What if the Fund is not considered attractive and you don’t really get as much as you are expecting. We can’t leave the destiny of our children’s quality education to just a voluntary fund where we don’t really know the projections. You cannot just depend on voluntary funds, you can’t run education that way. You need a concrete plan and you need a well-defined funding source. It’s clear that government is struggling to fund it and struggling to identify a clear funding source,” he had said.

While acknowledging that the critics of the fund had a right to make their opinions heard, Afenyo-Markin noted that, other countries that had implemented free education successfully had received contributions from the general populace.

“I was pleased when the Finance Minister suggested that they had made available a fund where there could be voluntary funds. People have criticized it and it’s their right to do so. In other democracies that Free SHS seems to have been implemented, in a way, the citizens have made their contributions”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Afenyo-Markin pushes for ‘Free SHS Tax’ on Ghanaians appeared first on Ghana News.

The widely reported problems with the Akufo-Addo government’s Free Secondary education policy boil down to a lack of preparation and consultation, former President John Mahama has said.

Speaking at Tarkwa in the Western Region during the National Democratic Congress’ Unity Walk, Mr. Mahama urged the government to start a national dialogue and set up a stakeholder conference on the Free SHS policy to save the programme.

The Akufo-Addo government wasted no time in implementing the Free SHS programme after winning power in the 2016 elections. The policy was a promise the party had trumpeted as far back as 2008.

It took only seven months for Free SHS education to begin, with the first years, numbering about 400,000 starting school in the 2017/18 academic year.

The policy has seen the government absorb the full cost of public secondary education, with beneficiaries not having to pay admission fees, examination fees, and utility fees, among others.

The opposition NDC has already chided the Free SHS policy, saying it is unsustainable, following unflattering images and reports of secondary school students sitting on floors and blocks for studies, seemingly fueling the NDC’s claims.

In the NPP’s time in opposition, the Mahama administration in 2014, started what it called the progressive introduction of free secondary education after consultations with stakeholders, and this brand of free education was to start primarily with only day students.

Implementation must be progressive

Mr. Mahama, during his address, noted that Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education took 15 years to implement, and he observed that implementing Free SHS in less than a year was not pragmatic.

He also noted other national interventions like National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which took years to implement.

The NHIS was touted by former President John Kufuor, in his bid for power ahead of the 2000 elections, and fully implemented in 2003.

“For the National Health Insurance Scheme, we underwent a long period of consultations before Kufuor established National Health Insurance. So when you are bringing something like Free SHS what do you do? You do broad consultations,” Mr. Mahama said.

“They needed to do some broad consultations [on the Free SHS]. They need a stakeholder’s conference where they bring people with experience within the education sector for input so all Ghanaians can decide on the way to implement the free SHS.”

He stressed that the constitution said secondary education should be implemented “progressively… bit by bit. But the government has come and has said it wants to implement Free SHS within three years. This is what we have now.”

Free SHS committee

A national committee was set up to oversee the implementation of the Free SHS, but the extent of its consultation has been questioned with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) notably saying it was not effectively part this committee.

GNAT is noted as having the largest teacher population in basic and second cycle schools.

The only teacher union that had a representative on the committee was the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).

Mahama ‘abandoned’ progressively free SHS beneficiaries – NAPO

Despite promises by the Mahama administration to champion what he called a progressively free Senior High School initiative, no student received a scholarship for the 2016/2017 academic year, according to the Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh.

The Minister said the government at the time did not fulfill its promise to award scholarships to some 100,000 students in boarding schools who were to benefit from the progressively free senior high school initiative.

“Till President Mahama left, not a single student had been given that scholarship. I am speaking on authority. Not one student,” he stated to the media after making a similar assertion on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday.

“The records are there, and the facts are speaking for themselves. Not a single student in a secondary school had been awarded scholarship… We met the headmasters and we met the scholarship secretariat and the question was have you sent anybody to receive a scholarship; the answer was no,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh stated.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama calls for national dialogue to save ‘failing’ Free SHS appeared first on Ghana News.

Experts in education at a high level panel discussion organised by the Association of African Universities (AAU), have called for strong partnership between industry and academia, to accelerate Ghana’s socioeconomic development.

The panelists said such a collaboration will enable universities get funding from industry, whereas industry gets the needed research from universities.

They expressed the hope that a strong collaboration between industry and universities, will also help prepare graduates adequately with the requisite skills for employment by industry.

The panelists included Professor Nicholas N. N. Nsowah-Nuamah, President, Regent University College of Science and Technology; Dr Eva Esther Shalin, the Associate Dean, Students Affairs and Collaboration, BlueCrest University College (GH) Limited; Mr Rizwan Ahmad, the Director, IPMC; and Mrs Eva Hazel, the Director of Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education.

The panel discussion forms part of the AAU week celebration on the theme “AAU@50: Achievements and Prospects for Sustainable Development in Africa”.

It was attended by participants from the Regent University College of Science and Technology, Bluecrest University College, University of Energy and Natural Resources and Koforidua Technical University.

Others are University of Professional Studies, Accra, Knutsford University College, IMPC, Accra Institute of Technology, Ghana Institute of Journalism, Anglican University College of Technology and Wisconsin International University College.

Prof Nsowah-Nuamah said in designing the syllabus for various schools, there is the need for universities to find out from industries whether the programmes they intend to run are in line with their needs.

He said in addition, the inputs of other stakeholders should be sought before the new programmes take off.

He urged the Government to come out with a new policy that would make industrial attachment compulsory for all tertiary education students; stating that at the moment, it was only the Technical Universities and the Polytechnics which were implementing such a policy.

Dr. Shalin urged industries to open their doors to the universities; adding that universities must be innovative and proactive.

She advised students to have mentors and be mindful that research was about global networking.

Mr. Ahmad called for a holistic approach in addressing the needs of education and industry.

Mrs. Hazel said the Ministry of Education was developing a new policy that would ensure that the syllabi of educational institutions, right from the kindergarten to the tertiary level, are related to industry.

She said the syllabi of educational institutions would be structured in such way that it would give people employable skills.

She said the Ministry would be coming out with a new policy to ensure that students actually benefit from industrial attachments.

Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, the Secretary-General of the AAU, reiterated the AAU’s commitment to partner with the right institutions in improving the quality of higher education in Africa, as demanded by its mandate.

“The AUU is further playing a key role in promoting and sustaining best practices across higher education institutions on the continent,” he said.

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Source: GNA

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that contracts will soon be awarded for the provision of 69,500 single desks and 13,100 bunk beds to Senior High Schools across the country.

This move, according to him, is expected to address the furniture deficit in a number of schools as part of his administration’s commitment to dealing with the challenges in the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy.

Citi News recently reported about a situation at the Parkoso Community Day Senior High School in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region, where some students sat on the bare floor due to the lack of desks.

The President said furniture will also be supplied for dining halls, staff common rooms and computer laboratories while marker boards will be provided for the classrooms.

“We have taken that first step in Ghana and we should deal with the challenges. In dealing with them, tenders have already gone out and so contracts will be awarded for the provision of some 69,500 desks and some 13, 100 bunk beds. Additionally, tender documents have been issued for the supply of furniture for dining halls, staff rooms for teachers, computer laboratories and the provision of marker boards for classrooms,” Nana Addo said.

“Free SHS will ensure that all our children will be educated to at least secondary level and money or the lack of it will no longer mean a denial of education.  Already, the policy has led to an increase of 90,000 children who have entered senior high school this academic year who would have otherwise dropped out.”

Students of Parkoso SHS study on bare floor

President Akufo-Addo, who was a special guest at the 68th-Anniversary Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Prempeh College in Kumasi, also dismissed the criticism directed at the policy. saying it was here to stay.

“The politically-motivated propagandists and naysayers who in the last few years said free SHS was not possible and could happen after 20 years are now signing a new tune. They are now saying free SHS is not sustainable and will crash in 5 years. Let me burst their bubble again, free SHS is here to stay,” he said.

The President added that Government has secured a 40-million dollar loan from the World Bank under the Secondary Education improvement project to expand and upgrade facilities in 75 Senior High Schools across the country.

He said 42 senior high schools will also be upgraded to module school status.

“Under the Secondary Education Improvement Project, government has secured a 40 million US dollar loan from the World Bank for the expansion and upgrading of facilities in 75 Senior High Schools across the country. Construction works of the existing Community Day Senior High Day Schools are ongoing. Government will also upgrade 42 Senior High School into modern school status,” the President added.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t to provide desks, bunk beds for Senior High Schools appeared first on Ghana News.

The government has announced that as part of its educational reform initiatives, it is investing in the expansion of tertiary institutions to absorb the high numbers of entrants that are likely to emerge from second-cycle institutions following the introduction of the Free SHS policy.

It also revealed that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), will be the source of funding for priority projects in the various tertiary institutions in the country in order to realise this purpose.

“The Free SHS policy which we expect to boost enrollment in our Senior High Schools will ultimately lead to greater demand for tertiary education. As a nation, we must therefore, as a matter of urgency, begin to prepare for the increased numbers, and government is committed to expanding access to tertiary institutions to accommodate the expected increase in demand”, Prof Gyan-Baffour stated.

On the reliance on the GETFund for the expansion, he explained that, “An amount of GHc255 million representing about thirty-two percent of the total GETFund allocation this year, has been allocated to the tertiary sector for the implementation of priority projects’”

According to the statement, the move is to ensure that no Ghanaian who passes out from the senior high school and is qualified is denied quality tertiary education.

Ongoing Educational Reforms

The Planning Minister also hinted of massive educational reforms underway that will see the face-lifting of the educational sector from the basic to the tertiary level.

“The Ministry of Education has embarked on a review of the legal, institutional and regulatory framework of its agencies to ensure that they are properly aligned to provide a clearer understanding of their functions, and strengthening their mandates to perform efficiently”.

Also currently under review are the National Council for Tertiary Education Act, Act 454, and the National Accreditation Act, Act 744.

The Minister further announced that to improve quality at the pre-tertiary level of education in the country, “government has committed itself to reforming the curriculum at the pre-tertiary level to focus on the 4-Rs, namely, writing, arithmetic, reading and the creative arts”, adding, that “we are also committed to the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics”.

In the area of technical and vocational education, Prof. Gyan-Baffour said the reforms will realign technical and vocational institutions to the Ministry of Education to link them to the Technical Universities to spearhead government’s One District-One Factory policy.

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By: Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Free SHS: Universities to be expanded to increase intake – Gov’t appeared first on Ghana News.

Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Aliu Mahama 5th Anniversary Celebration has announced plans by the Foundation to cater for the educational needs of the vulnerable in society.

According to the Committee, it would use its available funds to support persons who are not well-to-do in parts of the country.

The gesture the committee noted, was the best tribute to the memory of the late Vice-President, who had a broader vision for all in terms of education.

Chairman of the Planning Committee, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko,  announced this when he addressed participants at a clean-up exercise the Foundation, in collaboration with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), held in honour of the late Vice-President in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

The clean-up exercise, which is under a KMA project dubbed Cleaning and Greening, started from Dr. Mensah through Apedwa Hene Traffic Light, Kenianko Road (Alabar), Aboabo Station Four (4) Junction, Zongo Road (frontage of Aboabo Station Sanitary site and Zuria FM), Maxwell Road Junction, and the Zongo Police Station to culminate at Jubilee Park.

A tree planting is to be done behind the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Hospital, Nhyiaeso Submetro (opposite Gulf Park), and along the Subin River near the Race Course.

Mr Otchere-Darko emphasized that, the foundation is focused on education since it is key to national development. He said the Foundation will also liaise with COT-VET to help vulnerable female girls especially head-potters (Kayaayei), who would want to venture into vocational training.

He called on residents in the Kumasi metropolis to support city authorities and traditional rulers to keep the city clean.

Coordinating Director for the KMA, Michael Ataogye, who represented the Mayor of Kumasi, expressed the Assembly’s delight in collaborating with the Aliu Mahama Foundation to clean the metropolis.

He lauded the partnership, indicating that the Assembly views any exercise to enhance the sanitary conditions of the metropolis as a worthy project.

The citizenry, he noted, can best go about their legitimate duties and businesses when they are healthy and live in a clean environment.

He commended the residents of Kumasi for showing up to ensure the clean-up exercise was successful, and assured the Assembly will continue to prioritize issues of sanitation.

The exercise was climaxed with a Soup Kitchen and a public education on sanitation at the Jubilee Park for head porters [Kaayayei].

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Aliu Mahama Foundation to fund needy children’s education appeared first on Ghana News.

The Coordinator of the MSc. International Business Degree Programme at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Professor Robert Ebo Hinson, has embarked on a two day working visit to Tanzania to build networks and alliances to support the introduction of the MSc. International Business Degree Programme in that country.

The visit enabled Prof. Hinson to interact with Akofa Ata, Managing Director, Unilever Tanzania; Dr. Sarah Phoya, Coordinator of Links and International Affairs, Ardhi University; Dr. Ulingeta Mbamba, Dean, University of Dar es Salaam Business School, and some alumni of the University of Ghana Business School.

Interacting with the Managing Director of Unilever Tanzania and UGBS Alumni, Professor Hinson expressed the desire of the UGBS to engage practitioners in the delivery of programmes through special talks and other innovative interventions.

He also enquired if Unilever Tanzania would be willing to host students who enroll on the MSc. International Business Degree Programme when it is introduced, since an option of the programme requires students to undertake a study tour.

On his part, Akofa Ata expressed his willingness to host students who would choose Tanzania as one of the countries in East Africa for their study tour.

Professor Robert E. Hinson [Middle] with Akofa Ata, Managing Director, Unilever Tanzania; and wife Parissa

Prof. Hinson presented a book to the Unilever MD. He also interacted and shared the vision of the MSc. International Business Degree programme with some alumni of the University of Ghana Business School, encouraging them to spread the word in East Africa to shore up the international enrollment for the programme.

With UGBS Alumni, Abena Ofori-Boafoa (BSc. Administration, Banking and Finance Graduate and currently at PwC Tanzania). Professor Hinson taught her in 2012

At the Ardhi University

Ardhi University, which is located in the Capital city Dar-es-Salaam, is one of the few Universities in Africa that offers integrated training in the entire spectrum of land based disciplines, but combines this with the teaching of Accounting, Finance and other business based courses.

In a meeting with Dr. Sarah Phoya, Coordinator of Links and International Affairs, Ardhi University, Prof. Hinson discussed the possibility of both universities collaborating on International Business issues and other issues of common interest.

Prof. Hinson presented a copy of a University of Ghana MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and some gifts from the UGBS International Business Degree Programme Office to Dr. Sarah Phoya.

With Dr. Sarah Phoya, Coordinator of Links and International Affairs, Ardhi University

At the University of Dar-es-Salaam Business School

The University of Dar-es-Salaam Business School is the oldest and biggest public university in Tanzania.

It offers several Undergraduate, Masters and PhD programmes, and it has an existing Master of International Business Programme (MIB).

The University of Dar-es-Salaam Business School Master of International Business (MIB) programme is designed to provide students with the knowledge and analytical capability that will enable them to take up leadership roles in International businesses.

Professor Hinson with Dr. Mbamba, Dean of University of Dar-es-Salaam Business School

Apart from trading ideas on the respective IB Programmes in the two Business Schools (the existing one at the Dar-es-Salaam Business School and the upcoming one at the UGBS), possible areas of collaboration were discussed between Prof. Hinson and the Dean of the University of Dar-es-salaam Business School, Dr. Mbamba.

Prof. Hinson also presented a University of Ghana MOU to the Dean of the University of Dar-es-Salaam Business School as a basis of mutual collaboration in the future.

Professor Hinson with Dean Mbamba, and Acting Head of the Marketing Department

He also presented some gifts from the UGBS International Business Degree Programme Office to the Dean of the University of Dar-es-Salaam Business School.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UG’s Prof. Hinson visits Tanzania for education exchange options appeared first on Ghana News.

The Rebecca Foundation has agreed with Licang District Experimental School in Qingdao, China, to have an exchange programme between Ghanaian and Chinese school kids starting in 2018.

The programme, which seeks to deepen cultural, academic and sports ties between pupils of the two countries, will see 10 pupils from the school visiting Ghana, whiles 10 pupils from Ghana also visit China every year.

Under the programme, the children are expected to gain a lot especially in the area of sports, as the pupils from China will be trained in Ghana’s favorite sporting disciplines especially soccer, whilst Ghanaian pupils visiting China will also be taught various sports including table tennis.

First Lady Mrs. Akufo-Addo commended the people of China for their sense of discipline saying “the exchange programme would help impart some of their values to the participating children.”

Prof. Kwesi Yankah, who accompanied First Lady’s team to China, said “through the power of sports, the children who will be participating in the exchange programme will be able to make friends to deepen cultural relations among the two countries.”

The agreement for the programme was signed on behalf of the Rebecca Foundation by Ms. Shirley Laryea, from the Office of the First Lad,y whilst Wang Xiaoguang, Director General, Education and Sports Bureau of the Licang District signed for the school.

Later, the First Lady met with members of the Ghanaian community in Qingdao area, where she encouraged them to contribute their knowledge, skills and resources to the development of Ghana, and assured them that President Akufo-Addo and his team is working hard to steer the country towards sustainable development and prosperity.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post First Lady secures Chinese exchange programme for Ghanaian pupils appeared first on Ghana News.

Former President John Mahama has rejected some media reports suggesting that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), will reverse the Free SHS policy if it returns to office in the future.

He said the NDC however believes that the NPP’s current implementation of the programme was rushed, hence the numerous challenges it is being confronted with.

“A more carefully considered plan of implementation adopted by broad stakeholder consultation would have resulted in clear policies and guidelines, which would have avoided the current challenges plaguing the programme and putting our students in harm’s way.

“This view is not mine only. Many in the NPP and non-partisan civil society hold the same opinion. It is not too late to hold a national stakeholders forum on the Free SHS Programme in order to carry the whole nation along.”

Mahama calls for national dialogue to save ‘failing’ Free SHS

Speaking at Tarkwa in the Western Region during the National Democratic Congress’ Unity Walk, Mr. Mahama urged the government to start a national dialogue and set up a stakeholder conference on the Free SHS policy to save the programme.

“…for this to be the just the first year, and we are seeing such problems, then it means these problems are going to be multiplied by three,” the former President warned.

Dr. Raymond Atuguba

‘Free SHS law’ needed to prevent political interference – Atuguba

A Senior Law lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School, Dr. Raymond Atuguba, has asked the Akufo-Addo government to pass a legislation making the Free Senior High School policy binding on future administrations.

He has expressed fears that if such legislation is not passed, the policy may collapse as it could be abandoned by a different political party that assumes power.

Read John Mahama’s full Facebook post below:

NDC WILL NOT REVERSE FREE SHS

There are no “naysayers” when it comes to free SHS. After all, it was recognized and enshrined in our constitution by the ordinary people of this nation who gathered at the Consultative Assembly and drew up the 1992 constitution.

Disagreement over the programme is about the optimal pace of implementation. A more carefully considered plan of implementation adopted by broad stakeholder consultation would have resulted in clear policies and guidelines, which would have avoided the current challenges plaguing the programme and putting our students in harm’s way.

This view is not mine only. Many in the NPP and non-partisan civil society hold the same opinion. It is not too late to hold a national stakeholders forum on the Free SHS Programme in order to carry the whole nation along. The current legacy-seeking and ad hoc manner of implementation will multiply the current implementational problems over the next 3 years.

The false publication by a newspaper that the NDC will reverse free SHS is most laughable, false and diversionary.

Free SHS is constitutional, it must be implemented, but it must be implemented properly according to a clear plan that carries all stakeholders along.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NDC will not scrap Free SHS – Mahama appeared first on Ghana News.

A $100,000 ICT project constructed by MTN Ghana and the United Nations Development Programme for some communities in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, has been left to deteriorate in the bush, whilst schools struggle to provide ICT infrastructure for their students.

The facility, which was constructed and handed over to the community in 2012, sought to serve over 100,000 people in eight communities, and also provide a learning centre for 8,000 students from 10 schools in the area.

But the facility became a white elephant after a year of operations.

A visit by Citi News to the facility in Adidome revealed that, weeds had overgrown around the building, with the nets and louvers covering its windows worn out.

From afar, it would be difficult to notice the existence of the ICT centre in the bush.

There were about 20 desks with dusty desktop computers sitting in front of them and other relevant devices collecting dust, whilst birds and spiders hid in the ceiling.

A few meters away from the centre, is the R/C Basic School, which lacks an ICT Laboratory.

The teachers who refused to speak to Citi News on record, said it was a challenge for them to be teaching ICT in class without practical lessons.

As a result, students in the school, like the many other schools in the area, perform poorly in ICT.

It is as yet unclear what led to the neglect of such an important facility in the community, but residents attributed it to poor maintenance culture.

No comment from GES, Chief

The Chief of the Community, Togbe Agyeman IV, under whose supervision the building was commissioned, declined to comment when Citi News contacted him.

Although the facility from the Telecommunication Network was to among other things support the activities of the Ghana Education Service, the District Director of Education, Mr. Xevi, also declined to share his views on the state of the facility and the lack of ICT facilities in the district.

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By: King Nobert Akpabli/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Adidome: $100,000 ICT centre left to rot as schools lack ICT labs appeared first on Ghana News.

Government is processing funds for release to some suppliers under the Free Senior High School policy by the end of this week.

This is according to a Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.

“We are paying all the suppliers on behalf of the schools, and in addition to that, we paid buffer stock. But we will also pay all the people who manufacture things like uniforms on behalf of the schools. All these payments will be deduced from the 80%, and the rest of the monies will go back to the schools,” the Deputy Minister said.

“We are working hard to make sure that all schools that have submitted their returns will get paid. I know that his week we are reconciling, we have 56 schools so I’m hoping that by the end of this week, we would have reconciled so that the following week, they’ll look at paying all those who have submitted their returns,” Mr. Adutwum added.

Free SHS challenges

The implementation of the policy has faced some challenges key amongst them being infrastructure and feeding for the beneficiaries.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government launched the flagship programme in September 2017, to increase access to education by removing the payment of fees from public Senior High Schools.

Despite the enthusiasm after the launch, the programme has been fraught with many challenges including lack of canteens, furniture and other infrastructure in most schools.

In some schools, students do not benefit from the government’s promised free lunch as part of the programme, but the government has said that it is working to address the challenges.

Some school heads have complained about government’s failure to release funds needed for the programme.

They said only 20% of the fees government absorbed had been paid to them, making the running of the school difficult.

Some, as a result of the situation, are unable to provide enough food for the Free SHS beneficiaries due to indebtedness to the caterers.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Processing of funds for Free SHS supplies ongoing – Deputy Minister appeared first on Ghana News.

A group calling itself the concerned law students, has submitted a petition to Parliament against a new Legal Instrument (LI) by the General Legal Council (GLC), which is proposing new regulations for admissions and professional law courses in Ghana.

The group has described the LI as a deliberate and unreasonable effort by the Council to frustrate their attempts to gain admissions and their human rights.

Ken Addor Donkor, the leader of the group, said the proposed LI is “an attempt to just kill the dreams of law students.”

The LI in question, among other things, states that the GLC will conduct an entrance exam for the admission of students to the school, and conduct interviews for all applicants who pass the Ghana School of Law Entrance Examination.

This is following the Supreme Court declaring as unconstitutional the requirement by the GLC asking applicants to the Ghana Law school to undertake an examination and subsequent interview before admission.

Thus, it appears the council is only seeking to legalize the process, by getting the law to back it.

Notably, the LI under consideration also proposes that a person may be disqualified for admissions based on the compatibility of their profession to the course. Also, a person disqualified from the admissions process on three separate occasions can never qualify for the law school.

In Mr. Donkor’s view, this and other points from the new LI under consideration were “against natural justice” and against “their [law student’s] fundamental human rights.”

“You can see the subjectivity and the kind of power they have allocated to themselves, and these are public bodies amenable to the supervision of the high court,” he stated.

Mr. Donkor further cited Article 23 of the constitution in his argument, which says: “administrative bodies and administrative officials shall act fairly and reasonably, and comply with the requirements imposed on them by law, and persons aggrieved by the exercise of such acts and decisions, shall have the right to seek redress before a court or other tribunal.”

Exams, interviews barred for Law School

When the Supreme Court declared the interviews unconstitutional, it said the requirements are in violation of the Legislative Instrument 1296 which gives direction for the mode of admission.

The Justices in delivering their judgment, also indicated that their order should not take retrospective effect, but should be implemented in six months, when admissions for the 2018 academic year begins.

The plaintiff, Professor Kwaku Asare, a United States-based Ghanaian lawyer, went to court in 2015, challenging the legality of the modes of admission used by the Ghana School of Law.

According to him, the number of people who were admitted into the Ghana School of Law was woefully small considering the number of people who possessed LLB.

The Ghana Law School has been criticized for being overly rigid considering that it serves 12 schools providing LLB degrees.

The current training regime limits the intake into the Ghana Law School to under 500 of the about-2000 LLB graduates annually.

In his suit, Professor Kwaku Asare prayed for a declaration that GLC’s imposition of entrance examination and interview requirements for the Professional Law Course violates Articles ll (7) 297 (d) 23, 296 (a) (b) and 18 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Students petition parliament to stop LI for law school admissions appeared first on Ghana News.

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, has dismissed some media reports suggesting that the institution signed a $64 million agreement with a company, Africa Integras, without doing due diligence under his tenure.

Professor Aryeetey rubbished these claims at a press conference on Wednesday, explaining that the University of Ghana had gone through all the right procedures before signing the agreement with the company.

The University, back in 2015, entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students’ hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Legon campus.

The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

Recent media reports by The Chronicle and The Informer Newspapers, have raised questions about the deal,  particularly relating to the overall cost to the University.

However, Professor Aryeetey insisted the processes leading up to the signing of the agreement with Integras were transparent, with all relevant stakeholders being kept informed of all developments.

“There is no scandal at all in relation to the $64.4 million contract. Africa Integras signed an agreement that they were supposed to spend that money. As far as I know, by the time the project stopped, they had spent about $28 million. How does a phony company come and spend $28 million? You can see the buildings coming up and yet it has been written that I have signed an agreement with a phony company. We haven’t spent any money ourselves, it’s the ‘phony’ company that’s spending the money; how does a phony company put up buildings?,” Professor Aryeetey asked.

He also dismissed assertions that that he had received financial inducements to allow the project to proceed.

“I can assure the public that nothing untoward took place. The processes that were followed were very transparent. It’s being suggested that there was something corrupt, but there’s no such thing. I was never offered any money by any of the persons we dealt with. I have never asked for anything nor have I taken money from anybody in relation to this or any other project. Any suggestions of wrongdoing will be completely misplaced.”

Artist’s Impression of Project

‘1,000 jobs lost, 20,000 students deprived’

The project was expected to be completed in September 2017, and was set to include the construction of an expanded facility for the College of Humanities, a new College of Education, a new dedicated facility for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, and the Institute of Technology and Applied Science, as well as a new facility for the College of Health Sciences, which will be located near the new teaching hospital on campus.

Work on the project has since stalled, which according to Professor Aryeetey, will cost about 1,000 people their jobs and 20,000 students a chance to study at the country’s most prestigious tertiary institution.

“There’s no scandal, if there is one associated with the buildings, then it is coming up in the future. What is scandalous is that, we have stopped the construction for no good reason. There was never a problem with the design of the buildings or the structuring of the facility, and we believe that it was something that was required by the University. Once these buildings are finished, at least 20, 000 more students can use the University of Ghana, not all of them residents. The buildings didn’t come out of nowhere, it came as part of the strategic plan we had for the University of Ghana,” he said.

“By stopping the construction, we are putting a hold to the strategic plan, we are denying many young Ghanaians who would have had a chance to go to the University, and we are making it impossible for good research to be done. It was basically going to revolutionize the way we do teaching.”

No risk of financial loss

Professor Aryeetey added that, despite the concerns that have been raised about the cost that the University would incur over the cause of the period, the institution was well-placed financially to go through with the project.

“These projects are affordable, the University can afford them and does not need the intervention of anybody, not the government or SSNIT. It is expensive like many good projects, but it is certainly within the design to be able to take care of it. The University simply needs to do what had to be done in order to pursue the project,” he said.

“If there is any financial loss associated with this project, it’s something that’s going to be in the future. But it will not be because I designed a bad agreement. It will be because people in leadership positions today failed to live up to their responsibilities and show courage.”
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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Prof. Aryeetey denies fraud claims in $64m UG deal appeared first on Ghana News.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has described as inaccurate, reports that the increased enrollment under the Free Senior High School policy is solely to blame for cases of congestion and infrastructure deficit being experienced in some schools.

Speaking during a Meet-the-Press session on Thursday, the Minister buttressed his point by indicating that, some of the notable reports of infrastructure deficit, were in schools with fewer students than the capacity on record.

He cited Vitting SHS in Tamale and La Presbyterian SHS in Accra, where infrastructural challenges were brought to light by Citi News.

La Presby SHS first years were seen studying on cement blocks in uncompleted classrooms, whilst students of Vitting SHS were sleeping on verandas and under trees because of pressure on their limited infrastructure.

The quality aspect of the Free SHS policy was called into question when it emerged first years studying on blocks

La Presby SHS has since benefitted from desks donated by McDan Shipping and the La Dadekotopon Assembly, whilst the Northern Regional Minister has been to Vitting SHS on a fact-finding mission.

But for these two schools in particular, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said their headmasters had even requested more students but were given less, and so the government could not be blamed for the pressure on their facilities.

“There is one particular school, Vitting, that the Head’s letter to us requested 533 students. As at now, 517 students are enrolled. How did we [the government] or free SHS cause congestion in Vitting. The Head said he could accommodate 533. As we speak, it is not 533 that have registered but 517. But Vitting is reported as free SHS causing congestion. ”

For La Presby, he recalled that the school’s administration “asked for 607. As we speak, it is 533 in that school. But La Presby has been touted as the poster boy of Free SHS… is it Free SHS that has caused that problem in La Presby?” the minister questioned.

Infrastructure relief for schools

This notwithstanding, the government has already put in place measures to alleviate these challenges as an amount of Ghc80 million cedis has been allocated to address the challenges relating to furniture and beds.

President Nana Akufo-Addo recently announced that contracts will soon be awarded for the provision of 69,500 single desks and 13,100 bunk beds to Senior High Schools across the country.

“…so those that have brought the list, we have done tenders and we will be buying them and supplying them to the schools. But I sincerely believe that if the government is determined to do this, A child should still have access to the school to study and learn than to be thrown on the street at the age of 15,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Congestion, infrastructure deficit not entirely a Free SHS problem – NAPO appeared first on Ghana News.

The Ministry of Education is in talks with the West African Examination Council (WAEC), to ensure that from 2018, the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) would be written in May.

This is to ensure that the full nine terms of teaching and learning are fully exhausted by students as required by the syllabus.

Speaking at the Meet-The-Press series today [Thursday], the Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said the change is expected to improve results for final year students since they would have adequate time to prepare.

The Minister also noted that, his outfit has met WAEC over the issue, adding that “we’ve agreed with the West African Examination Council that we don’t want to start the exams in February…so this year we hope that the WAEC will start the exams sometime in May…so that we would have covered the nine terms before the students start exams.”

Politics of 3/4 year SHS duration

Successive governments have toyed with the duration of Senior High School in Ghana.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government changed the three year SHS duration system in 2007 to four years, due to similar concerns being raised by Opoku Prempeh.

But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) reversed it back to three years, claiming the four-year duration brought undue hardships to parents.

It appears the Akufo-Addo government is seriously considering extending the length to four years again.

The Minister of Planning, Professor Gyan Baffour in September 2017 revealed that, government is monitoring the three-year SHS system to inform a possible review back to four years.

“The time lost, we have to make it up. That is the first thing that we are trying to do now, and based on that, we can now use the analysis that they do after that time, to see what the public thinks and to decide on whether we move for three years or four years,” he added.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & AJ Akuoko Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t pushes for WASSCE in May instead of February appeared first on Ghana News.

Some National Service Personnel are asking the National Service Scheme (NSS) to reconsider its decision to compulsorily deduct GH¢ 15 from their allowances for an insurance package.

They want the insurance payment to be optional and not mandatory for all service personnel.

But speaking to Citi News, the NASPA president for Awutu Senya Municipal, Luis Kwame Anane said the decision is arbitrary and must be reviewed.

“Even though it is a congress decision, all the service personnel are against it. I suggest that the outgoing NSS and the necessary stakeholders listen but if they want to face the outrage of personnel of people picketing and refusing to go to work and cause that mayhem before they react, it will be bad because they need to be proactive.”

“Listen to the voice of the people. When you look at accommodation and employment issues of personnel, delay in [payment of] allowances and all that, they should look at policies that that will address these concerns. That is what they should focus on,” he said.

About the NSS Insurance Package

The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.

This compulsory insurance package, spearheaded by various insurance companies, is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.

The claims vary from GH¢ 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GH¢3,000 for cases of disability.

As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GH¢ 500 loan which is payable within six months.

But some service personnel have kicked against the package, saying that it is being imposed on them. According to them, they were not informed about the package before it was formally launched.

They also expressed disappointment that it was not made optional but compulsory.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Compulsory NSS insurance must be reviewed – NASPA appeared first on Ghana News.

The lives of over 500 pupils and teachers of the Oterkpolu/RC Basic School in the Yilo Krobo Municipality are being threatened because bats, snakes and other reptiles, have invaded the school’s dilapidated classrooms and offices.

Students and the teachers regularly battle with snakes and other reptiles that find their way into the dilapidated school structure during contact hours.

When Citi News visited the school, it was revealed that the situation cuts across the whole primary block from basic 1 to basic 6.

The entire structure has deep cracks all over the buildings, with holes and dusty floors. The roofs are all rusty with holes and leaks in them.

The school prefect, Okran Tei Denis, in an interview with Citi News explained how these problems are affecting them academically and psychologically.

“Sometimes when we are learning the snakes crawl in, at other times they fall from the roof and we all run out, we are always scared and afraid when we come to school because of how the snakes have been entering our classrooms. Also, whenever it rains, our books, desks and uniforms get wet, and we close classes because there are holes in the roofing and the rains drop down in to the classrooms”.

Akua Mawuena, a class 4 teacher, explained to Citi News her encounter with a snake during contact hours which forced an abrupt end of a class in section.

“I was in class teaching the other time and the students started shouting snake snake, so I quickly turned back and saw a cobra hanging just behind me. We rushed out for our lives and in the process my skirt got torn, so we ended the class after some people came to kill the snake. So I must say the concentration of students and myself is not always not on academics, we always look out for them because this is not the first time our classrooms have been invaded by snakes”.

“We are really scared because how on earth can we be in class and snakes also come in to study, we don’t live with snakes, but humans. These snakes always distract us, and it is really affecting teaching and learning”.

The most shocking is the state of the headmaster’s office, which he shares with bats and reptiles.

Djambah Micheal, the headmaster of the primary school  section, explained how killing of snakes in his office has become a daily routine.

“You can hear the noise from the bats in here, they are more than 500, and they share this office with me, just last two months, I killed two pythons in here who had come to feed on the bats. A week ago, I was in my chair when another snake came from the roof but fortunately it escaped back through the roof the moment I picked up the stick”.

He said “It is not easy at all here, it’s just by the grace of God because another time I was going through my lecture notes behind my desk after the first break, then I had a strong sensation to turn right and close to me about 30 centimetres where my cupboard is, was a big snake lying behind it and I must say it is just by the grace of God”.

The headmaster revealed how the Municipal Assembly and Education Service have failed to attend to them after the situation was brought to their attention.

“Some time ago, the Municipal Director and his team came to survey the uncompleted structure close to the school, which had been abandoned 4 years ago, but nothing has been done about it”.

“My teachers have vowed not to step foot in my office, but  I am always forced to come in because I have a problem with my eyes when ever the sun is scorching it becomes very difficult for me”.

Adjei Sah Ebenezer, the headmaster of the JHS section, says the lives of the over 500 students and teachers are at risk if their concerns are not taken seriously.

“The actual problem we have is about the structure, this structure has been like this for more than 7 years, we have taken pictures of it written to the municipal education office and the assembly which promised to do something about it, but it is over 7 years now and nothing has been done about it. As you can see the deep cracks in the wall, the portions which have been washed away by rains leaving the structure hanging and the holes in the roofing, it has made life very difficult for academic work to go on”.

“This has become so dangerous for teachers and students, and it has taken a deep toll on teaching and learning. The teachers are doing very well, but we are afraid that in case of any storm, the structure will come down and collapse. In the afternoons, the room becomes very hot with the sun shining through the holes in the roofs, so we always bring the kids out to come and study under the trees. When it starts raining, we end classes and close for the day because of the nature of the roofing and the structure, because we don’t want to witness the collapse of the building with the kids in it”.

Ebenezer Adjei thus called on government and other philantropic organizations for immediate assistance.

“A new project was started, and it was abandoned 4 years ago, we are therefore calling on government and other private individuals and organizations to come to our aid and continue the construction of the abandoned structure or even renovate the dilapidated buildings for us”.

Until government, private and other stakeholders intervene to help solve these challenges , students and teachers of Oterkpolu RC will continue to be at the mercy of reptiles, and become possible victims of a disaster should the structure collapse whenever there’s a heavy storm.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Oterkpolu/RC pupils battle with snakes, bats in dilapidated classrooms appeared first on Ghana News.

The authorities at the Sunyani Technical University (STU) have called on the government to assist the institution in the payment of its debts to utility providers.

The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University, Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, said the institution owed the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) millions of cedis, resulting in consistent disruptions of electricity and water supply.

A total of 1,229 of the new admittees opted for the Science and Technology programmes, whilst 997 of them are pursuing Business and Humanities courses.

Prof Adinkrah-Appiah said the University has often been compelled to use part of its Internally-Generated Fund (IGF) to pay utility providers to ensure the constant supply of power and water.

“Since the IGF cannot clear the accumulated debt, we make a passionate appeal to the government to step in to clear this debt to give respite to the University administration to focus more on its core mandate of student training,” he added.

Prof Adinkrah-Appiah urged fresh students to endeavour to read and understand the rules and regulations of the University, as contained in the student’s handbook.

He admonished them against alcoholism, drug abuse, stealing, occultism and sexual misconduct, reminding them that their continuous stay in the University would depend on their conduct and academic performance.

Prof Adinkrah-Appiah assured the fresh students of the University’s readiness and commitment to protect and support respectful, law-abiding, hardworking and disciplined students, but added that trouble-makers would not be tolerated.

He advised them to attend to their studies and make use of facilitates available to them to undertake research and that would help them to improve their knowledge.

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Source: GNA

The post Sunyani Technical University appeals to gov’t over utility arrears appeared first on Ghana News.

The Lebanese community in Ghana has awarded scholarships to 19 wards of martyrs of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The programme, in its third year, is one of the initiatives that the Lebanese community is running to help promote education in Ghana.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Lebanese ambassador to Ghana, Ali H. Halabi, acknowledged the contribution of Ghanaian soldiers in peacekeeping efforts across the world.

“…for the Lebanese community, the contributions of Ghana’s Armed Forces to domestic and world security is an emotional affair. We fondly recall the efforts of Ghana’s peacekeeping mission to Lebanon and the sacrifices made there. They are the symbols of the decades of strong and enduring bonds between the peoples of Ghana and Lebanon. Today, we acknowledge that, it is the selfless contributions of these men and women of the Armed Forces that have established a solid security architecture under which different people in this great nation could live together peacefully…,” he stated.

“…By this action, we hope to contribute to the future of these children who are spread across all the levels of Ghana’s education system.”

This is the third year that the Lebanese community in Ghana has awarded scholarships to the dependents of matyrs.

Since the 2012/2013 academic year, the Lebanese community has been giving scholarships to these wards, along with some brilliant undergraduate students from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, law students from the University of Ghana and the Kwame University of Science and Technology, as well as some students of the Ghana School of Law (Makola) and Masters students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

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By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Lebanese community offers scholarships to children of Ghanaian peacekeepers appeared first on Ghana News.

Parliament has approved a $40 million loan facility to improve some Senior High Schools in the country.

This forms part of a financing agreement between the government of Ghana and the International Development Association of the World Bank.

President Nana Akufo-Addo had already hinted at this facility being a solution to the infrastructure challenges in secondary schools.

The loan would be used as additional financing for the Secondary Education Improvement Project, which would upgrade facilities in some existing 75 senior high schools.

The Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah, as he recommended the approval of the facility to the House, said “75 senior high schools will have their facilities upgraded to improve academic performance. Also, there will be quality improvement support to 107 additional schools.”

He added that “the committee finds the project immensely important towards enhancing secondary education in Ghana, to help provide more secondary level graduates with the relevant skills to enter tertiary institutions and the labour market.”

Infrastructure relief for schools

This notwithstanding, the government has already put in place measures to alleviate these challenges as an amount of Ghc80 million cedis has been allocated to address the challenges relating to furniture and beds.

President Nana Akufo-Addo recently announced that contracts will soon be awarded for the provision of 69,500 single desks, and 13, 100 bunk beds to Senior High Schools across the country.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parliament approves $40m loan to improve SHS infrastructure appeared first on Ghana News.