An amount of GH¢62,606,403, in three instalment payments for the delivery of food items to Senior High Schools in the country has been paid to National Food Buffer Stock Company by the Ministry of Education.

Hence, food items will be delivered to various school by suppliers contracted by the Buffer Stock Company for the first term of the academic year.

The Buffer Stock Company has been contracted to serve as an interface between suppliers and schools with the sole aim of ensuring quality and providing standardized food products to promote local content.

The list of food items supplied to schools is in strict adherence to the agreed national menu for schools.

The Government’s engagement with the Buffer Stock Company is to ensure that the various Senior High Schools in the country are supplied with locally produced food items in order to create a ready market for local farmers.

50 contracts from various suppliers  to various Senior High School were cancelled by the Ghana National Food Buffer Stock due to non-performance of those suppliers.

This action was taken to ensure that Buffer Stock does not compromise in terms of the timeliness of its delivery.

Presenting the cheque to the CEO of Buffer Stock Company, the Coordinator of Free SHS Program, Mr William Antwi Darkwah, called on Heads of Schools and suppliers to submit their returns to expedite efforts to clear all payments.

The Deputy Food and Agriculture Minister, George Oduro, told Parliament last year that the National Buffer stock company had put in place measures to purchase harvested farm produce from farmers signed unto the Planting for food and jobs programme in connection to implementing government’s flagship programmes ‘Planting for Food and job programme’.

The programme is expected to be rolled out in all 216 districts of the country and will involve the supply of farm resources such as high yielding and improved seedlings to participating farmers.

The government said the programme will create some 750,000 jobs and would motivate farmers to grow staple foods such as maize, millet, and beans.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Free SHS: Gov’t pays GH¢62m to Buffer Stock Company appeared first on Ghana News.

Over 40 students of the Agogo State College in the Asante Akyem North District of the Ashanti Region have been displaced after fire gutted one of the dormitories in the school on Friday evening.

The incident, which happened around 8:30 pm destroyed the belongings of students, who are mostly first years.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but school authorities say are investigating the incident.

The headmaster of the school, Agyapong Ntra who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the affected students are sharing beds with their colleagues for now.

“There was a fire outbreak but it is currently under control. It was last night around 8.30 pm when students were at prep, some of them went out and saw smoke coming out of one of dormitories so they drew alarm and teachers together with students rushed to the scene. Others too called the Fire Service so they rushed to the scene,” he narrated.

“Everything in the room got burnt including government textbooks, chop boxes, trunks, and a few cedis.
46 students were affected so at the moment they are perching with their colleagues.”

He said the Member of Parliament for the area, the District Chief Executive and officials of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) have visited the scene to get first-hand information about the incident.

Mr Ntra is appealing to benevolent organizations to help the affected students.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Agogo State College fire displaces over 40 students appeared first on Ghana News.

The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) Tarkwa, has appointed former President, John Agyekum Kufour, as the first Chancellor of the institution.

The installation ceremony which took place at the UMaT campus on Friday was to confer authority on the new Chancellor and welcome him officially to the University system.

Hundreds of people including representatives of government, organizations, traditional authorities, members of the university staff across the country, students and the general public attended the special event.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led former President Kufour through the swearing of oath of office.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nana Akufo-Addo commended the university’s council for recognising the immense contributions of the former President made during his term in office for UMaT and mother Ghana.

The President said with the nine uncompleted Mineral Development Fund (MDF) projects on UMaT’s campus, Mr. John Peter Amewu, minister of Lands and Natural Resource has assured him that through the MDF all the deficit projects would be completed soon to commemorate the event.

President Akufo-Addo said he had been informed that 26 kilometers square of land had been donated to the university by the chief and people of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area  and that designs for the construction of the 20,000 student capacity complex had been completed awaiting funds for the commencement of the project .

The President noted that the government would give an annual special budgetary allocation of 5 million Cedis to the University for projects.

He said there were  few countries in the world with Universities dedicated to mining and allied industries and added that UMaT would provide higher education in mining technology and related science and also acted as a catalyst in the development of mining and technology.

He pointed out that ministry of Lands and Natural Resource and the university in its contribution to the fight against illegal mining had trained 400 small scale miners with additional 1,000 more set to be trained this year on sustainable mining practices.

According to the President, “The Ministry of Railway Development and UMaT wanting to revive the railway training school is a step in the very right direction considering government’s determination to revamp the railway sector”.

President Akufo-Addo said his government would rehabilitate and equip existing laboratories as well as the construction of new buildings that were currently on-going to enable the university deliver effectively on its mandate of teaching, research and community service.

Delivering his address, former President Kufour said in the current world, the future belonged to the economies that take technology and innovation seriously, and made the conscious effort to train their manpower in these competencies.

He said science, technology, engineering and mathematics education should be the cornerstone of the educational curricula of any serious nation that seek to develop industrially.

The former President said the university chosen to be committed singularly to this all important academic endeavor, with accompanying practical experience, was worthy of commendation and support from government.

He said “I envisage a future where this university will fast become the centre of the industry-driven transformational economic takeoff that you have resolved and declared as the cornerstone of your government’s development policies”.

“Your Excellency, Mr. President, l know that the exploitation of the country’s bauxite resources is dear to your heart, and you envision an integrated aluminium and bauxite industry as well as other metallurgical industries in the not too distant future,” he said.

He pledged to work with the government to provide technologies and the requisite trained manpower to realise their noble vision under his chancellorship and appealed to Ghanaians to support UMaT to become a true centre of excellence in mining and technology.

Professor Jerry Kuma, Vice Chancellor indicated that if UMaT is given the necessary support to expand its infrastructure, laboratory equipment and staff development, the university would do more in the area of research and bring out more inventions to benefit Ghanaians.

In addition, he said UMaT would also be in a better position to absorb more of the students who would gain admission as a result of the free Senior High School programme.

–

Source: GNA

The post Kufuor appointed UMaT Chancellor appeared first on Ghana News.

The Municipal Health Director for the Ga West Municipality, Dr. Doris Arhin, has advised parents and guardians against dictating to their children the professional careers they should take up.

She said most children grow up not doing their work appropriately because they lack interest in the careers they have taken up.

Dr. Arhin said this during the first Nurses and Mid-Wives Awards day at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region on the theme: “Attainment of sustainable Development Goal Three, the role of Nurses and Midwives in the Municipality.”

Nii Kortey Boi II, Ofankor Mantse, who is also the Presiding Member of Ga West Municipal Assembly, commended the Association for their numerous services throughout the Municipality, saying it was their responsibility to contain the outbreak of any epidemic disease in the municipality and the whole of the country.

He said some decades ago, Buruli Ulcer and Cholera were contained, and they should use the same enthusiasm to rid societies of contagious diseases.

The chief said the Municipal Assembly was making frantic efforts to construct more Clinics and Hospitals, Health Centres, CHPS compounds and Nurses Quarters with Doctors’ Bungalows to enable them stay in the Municipality.

–

Source: GNA

The post Don’t force careers on students – Educationist appeared first on Ghana News.

The Ministry of Education has said from 2019, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will be written in May.

The Ministry of Education met with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) last year, to initiate processes to move the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from February to May.

This move, the Ministry said, is to guarantee that the nine terms allocated to teaching and learning in Senior High Schools (SHS) are fully exhausted by students as required by the syllabus.

WAEC has also delayed 2018’s exams by a month to give candidates more time to prepare.

This delay will also take effect in the four other English-speaking West African countries; Gambia, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone, who take part in the examination.

Speaking to Citi News, Deputy Education Minister in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum confirmed the date changes, stating that it was done in the best interests of the students.

“I want to assure you that, at least we have about a month, our exams are not going to begin in February, so it will be delayed and moved back, the last testing day will be June 1^st, which has never happened for many years,” he said.

The Minister of Education who spoke at the Meet-The-Press series on November 30, 2017 said the change is expected to improve results for final year students since they would have adequate time to prepare.

Politics of 3/4 year SHS duration

Successive governments have toyed with the duration of second-cycle schooling in Ghana.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government changed the three-year SHS  system in 2007 to four years, due to concerns that candidates were not given enough time to complete their syllabus before sitting for the exams.

But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) reversed the decision when they regained power, claiming the four-year duration brought undue hardships to parents.

It, however, appears the Akufo-Addo government is seriously considering re-extending the term to four years.

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: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post WAEC moves WASSCE to May to aid candidates’ preparations appeared first on Ghana News.

The Parent-Teacher Association of the Kumasi Academy has met to review the challenges the school faced in 2017, and discuss measures to ensure the development of the institution.

Top of the agenda were the plans which have been put in place to prevent another outbreak of H1N1 influenza type A, that reportedly led to the 4 students in 2017, although four students had died before that incident bringing death toll in the school to eight.

School authorities and PTA executives spent time to explain measures the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service had put in place to forestall future incidents.

The leadership of the PTA is hopeful that the health measures employed by Government to fight the outbreak of H1N1 type A, will help prevent further deaths of students in the school.

The school’s PTA chairman, Owusu Achiaw, said over 80 percent of the students have returned to the school since it reopened for the new term.

He added that the students are currently taking part ins academic activities.

“My advice is that, based on what I have come to see in person, I am advising all parents to bring their wards to school because there is nothing again at Kumasi Academy”.

He further disclosed that the Ghana Baptist Convention has also intervened to upgrade the sick bay of the school to a clinic status.

The move according to him, is to complement Government’s efforts in averting future cases. He is hopeful the ugrade will be concluded soon since preparations are already underway to start it.

Mr. Achiaw commended stakeholders for their quick response during the crisis.

He expressed gratitude to Government, the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Education Service, the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Asokore Mampong Municipal Chief Executive and all benevolent individuals and organizations who helped during the crisis.

Some parents who spoke to Citi News say their fears were allayed after the meeting.

One of the parents said: “I am so happy coming for the meeting. I am happy about the assurances from PTA executives and school authorities. The school’s environment is also well kept. All parents should allow their wards come to school. Even the students here are happy”.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post KUMACA: PTA, school heads discuss health issues after swine flu scare appeared first on Ghana News.

The University for Development Studies (UDS) Wing of BONABOTO, will be marking its 10th Anniversary at the Wa Campus in the Upper West Region, in March this year.

The Anniversary will be on the theme; “Consolidating Our Values through Sense of Unity and Purpose”.

BONABOTO is an association of students in the various tertiary institutions in the country based in Bolgatanga, Nabdam, Bongo and Tongo in the Upper East Region.

The President of the BONABOTO National Tertiary Education Wing of the UDS, Joachim Tizaaba Elbazar, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, said the anniversary will bring all the students who come from those areas together to discuss issues that would promote development.

He said education, agriculture, roads, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) were issues of national concern and the association had started to develop proposals to address them.

While commending the leadership of the association for working towards the progress of the region and the nation as a whole, Mr Elbazar said that the body was developing plans to link up effectively with the BONABOTO Mother Union to achieve accelerated and sustained development in the Upper East Region.

He underscored the need for unity of purpose that would prevent conflicts and promote peace and harmony in the region to ensure smooth development.

Mr Elbazar appealed to the Municipal and District Assemblies, Non-Governmental Organisations, philanthropists and individuals to collaborate with the association to provide the necessary support the region needs.

He said some cultural and social beliefs and practices were very detrimental to the development of the region and called for effective education, sensitisation and advocacy to change the phenomena and promote development.

“Negative cultural practices such as child marriages and teenage pregnancies are among the factors that affect the growth of the region. While some parents withdraw their female children from school for marriage, many of the girls also become pregnant and drop out of school.

“These, we all need to join hands with each other to fight to pave way for rapid development”, he said.

–

Source: GNA

The post UDS BONABOTO to celebrate 10th Anniversary in March appeared first on Ghana News.

The Gbolo Alzariya English and Arabic Primary school in the Sagnarigu district is one of many schools in the Northern Region without Information Communication and Technology (ICT) laboratories and tools.

The school’s headmistress, Madam Mahama Maria, revealed to Citi News that the only laptop used for teaching the pupils has been out of commission since 2015.

According to her, a philanthropist donated the said laptop to the school with a population of 430 students.

“We have an ICT teacher in the school. In the past we used to have a laptop which someone gave to the school to use but it’s been spoilt for about two years now,” she said

“It is a big problem for us that we have an ICT teacher in the school and yet there is no laptop for us to use and teach the students.”

The ICT teacher, Samuel Wedaga expressed his frustration with the current situation saying “We don’t even have a single computer and ICT is a practical subject. Without the computer when you teach the theory it becomes abstract to the kids and so we need computers for the pupils to feel the practical aspect.”

He appealed to government and other philanthropists to assist the school.

Given the importance of the practical aspects of studying ICT, the absence of the requisite infrastructure had created a huge problem.

With the world wholly embracing technology, the study of Information, Communication and Technology is an integral part of the academic schedule of schools in the country.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post N/R: Infrastructure deficit impeding teaching of ICT appeared first on Ghana News.

Head Pastor of the Calvary Charismatic Center (CCC), Ransford Obeng, is calling for the inclusion of lessons about corruption into the country’s educational system.

According to him, such lessons must be taught in schools from the basic to the tertiary level.

This he believes will equip the younger generation about the negative effects of corrupt practices, and how they can desist from such acts.

Pastor Obeng made the remarks at a news conference in Kumasi to announce a three-day programme to host the Founder of the International Central Gospel Church [ICGC], Dr. Mensah Otabil.

He said corruption has become a canker that has eaten deep into the moral fiber of the Ghanaian society and called for a concerted effort from all sectors to end the menace.

“In fact, one of the advice I will give to the Government is that they should start teaching corruption in our schools, they should start it from the basic level. They should teach our children what corruption is and everything about it. There must be different subjects about corruption from the basic to the University level.”

The CCC Pastor indicated that, every successful society was built on truthfulness and such attitudes must be imbibed in the younger generation.

He cited further that the biggest problems that have affected Ghana’s growth  are dishonesty and stealing.

He called for a change of mindset to end the corruption menace in Ghana.

The clergyman called on the media to play an active role in ensuring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s commitment to fight corruption is achieved.

Herdsmen and farmers clashes

On how to end the long-standing conflict between nomadic herdsmen and some indigenes of Agogo and Drobonso, Pastor Obeng charged the Ghana Immigration Service and other security agencies to up their game in finding a lasting solution.

He said foreigners who come into the country were not above the laws, and that the laws must protect the citizens first.

Dr. Otabil’s visit

The CCC is hosting Dr. Mensah Otabil from Friday, 19th to Sunday, 21st January, 2018, to share the word of God with residents of Kumasi and the Ashanti Region as a whole.

Pastor Obeng described Dr. Otabil as a man of wisdom who will use the encounter to impact the lives of persons who will be attending the event.

He said the event will also seek to inspire students, managers and business persons who will be in attendance.

He indicated that the event has become necessary because it was right for every believer to begin every New Year with the word of God to enable them plan well and succeed.

He called on residents to come in their numbers and listen to words of wisdom from the guest speaker.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Integrate ‘lessons on corruption’ into Ghana’s Education System – Pastor appeared first on Ghana News.

First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo on Wednesday launched the “Girls Can Code Project Ghana” at the Advance Information Technology Institute, Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Accra.

The project, which will see to the training of some three hundred girls between the ages of 11-14 from ten junior high schools across the country, also seeks to develop the interest of young girls in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Speaking at the launch, the First Lady urged young girls to take advantage of ICT, arguing that it can now be used to improve women’s economic outlook and address the gender gap.

“Indeed, the emerging digital economy, offers developing countries like Ghana an opportunity to take a quantum leap in development, by transforming the economy into a high- value-added, information and knowledge based economy. As more women understand the value of the Internet and ICT in terms of sustainable livelihoods, they will improve their quality of life and become more productive members of society. As women, we need to understand that, the Internet is a resource for empowerment, for restoration, for self-development and for arming oneself in the knowledge economy.”

“I am therefore happy to learn that this project seeks to train more girls. Ultimately, it will develop young girls to be critical thinkers and creators of technologies and inspire them to develop their full potential.”

On her part, the Chief Executive Officer for Soronko Academy, Regina Honu, said it was the impact and the change needed that allowed for the establishment of the first coding and human centered design school in the country.

According to her, although there is a wide market for coders and developers in the country, it is challenging when it comes to girls.

“There are a lot of women in this space, but they need more support. We also have to educate the decision makers that a single quota team is not efficient. What I mean is that, if you just have a group of men developing for different population, that can’t work. You can’t design a solution for deaf people when you don’t have a deaf person in your team to understand the perspective. So you can’t have a single team of men developing a solution which is consumed also by women, so it is important that they add that diversity. It goes a long way to add to the innovation.”

Soronko Academy formally known as Tech Needs Girls, was established to mentor women and girls to lead and be innovate by learning to code.

The launch, which was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Communication, and Gender and Social Protection, also had support from UNESCO-IFAP, GES, DreamOval, HACSA and the Ghana- India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.

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By: Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post First Lady launches ‘Girls Can Code Project Ghana’ appeared first on Ghana News.

I-texon Ghana, an organisation empowering the youth on higher education choices, has announced the 11th edition of its Ghana Higher Education Fair, to invest relevant and key information into the future leaders at six (6) regional venues nationwide.

Year in and out, a great number secondary school leavers lose out on the opportunity to better their education due to a lack of knowledge about the higher education options available.

Most of these young ones have no idea which programs they can even pursue with their subject combinations.

The 11th “Ghana Higher Education Fair” train will bring the event to six (6) locations.

The three-days-per-venue Event takes off in Sunyani SHS, Brong Ahafo, on the 23^rd of January, followed by the Ashanti Regional event at Kumasi Anglican SHS, between 31^st January and 2^nd February.

Students in the Western Region will be mentored at Arch Bishop Porter Girls’ SHS, from 6^th to 8^th of March, with Aggrey Memorial SHS hosting Cape Coast between 14^th to 16^th March.

Oyoko Methodist SHS will host students in the Eastern Region from 21^st to 23^rd February with Presbyterian Boys SHS, Greater Accra, bringing the series to a close from 27^th February to 1^st March.

The event supported by the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Education Service, orients students towards making open minded decisions on their education based on options, career development, back ground, access to resources and facilities, accreditation and final certification among others.

It aims to build the capacity of relatively new institutions by creating channels for them to mentor and interact with their core potential mainstream market, the senior high school students.

On what attendees should expect, Madam Charlotte Owusu, Director of I-texon Ghana said: “The fair will redirect students to acquire knowledge, develop intellectual skills, attitudes, values and aptitudes conductive to the all-round development of their personality, instead of just waiting to get into certain specific institutions by virtue of past reputation, irrespective of its relevance to their chosen career path”.

Madam Owusu said for the fair to have maximum impact, the event is divided into two forms – Exhibition and Lectures. “The exhibition affords students the opportunity to interact with representatives of higher education institutions. The Lectures, however, are talk sessions that are supported with video or power point presentations that intend to give students in–depth information on all higher educational institutions and the opportunities available.”

The Director added that the fair makes it possible for tertiary institutions to reach out to potential students on courses offered, the links between what they study in high school and what programs are offered in tertiary institutions, the career options available to pursue after school, student housing availability, financial aid and other relevant education information.

Institutions who wish to participate should contact the Fair’s Secretariat on 0244 655 331 or email itexonghana@yahoo.com for any needed information.

–

Source: I-texon Ghana

The post Tertiary institutions to mentor students at Ghana Higher Education Fair appeared first on Ghana News.

Parents of students in Awudome Senior High School [AWUSCO], at Tsito in the Volta Region, are accusing school authorities of charging unapproved fees under the government’s Free Senior High School programme, thereby denying defaulters specific services in the school.

But some parents who have their wards in AWUSCO say the school is charging each student an amount of about GHC 150.00.

Most of the parents say they are unaware what the funds will be used for.

“My son told me they are to pay GHC 150.00, and I don’t understand because government said they are to enjoy free education without any payment”

Others told Citi News that their wards told them the monies will be used to pay teachers for organizing extra classes after their mandatory instructional hours.

As a result, students who have defaulted are denied certain services in the school.

“My ward, who is a student in Tsito Awudome SHS (AWUSCO) in the Volta Region, is charged over GHc150 as extra classes fees under the free SHS. He is still in the house because we are unable to raise the said amount. This is because they said the authorities refuse to let the first years that are unable to pay to eat the dinning hall food” another parent said.

It is unclear what might have informed the school’s decision to charge such fees, and whether same has been approved by the Ghana Education Service.

The Head Master of the Awudome Secondary School, Emmanuel Amu, however declined to speak to Citi News on the matter.

He was however  unable to provide any documents to back the approval of the charges.

In the early days of the implementation of the Free SHS programme, some schools heads were punished for charging unapproved fees.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parents accuse Awudome SHS of charging ‘illegal’ fees appeared first on Ghana News.

The University of Ghana is in the process of reviewing its undergraduate study programmes to focus more on entrepreneurship, critical and analytical thinking, as well as intellectual development.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Samuel Kwame Offei, said going forward, their programmes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, would concentrate on creating the 21st century graduate, by focusing on critical and analytical thinking, entrepreneurship and intellectual development, and on making all their programmes more responsive to the needs of the country and industry.

“We need to work together to ensure that the youth are well trained and ready for modern work place by the time they leave school, and I am sure that all of us here today are committed to working to make sure that this does take place,” Prof Offei stated in his closing remarks at the end of the 69th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) in Accra.

“There is a critical need to focus more on education and training, as one of the surest ways of equipping our young people with the requisite skills for the world of work,” he said.

“There is the need for a comprehensive national re-assessment of skills development across the educational landscape that will insight the development of a skills development policy for the country,” Prof Offei added.

He noted that unemployment had economic, social and political consequences and every nation must ensure that their youth find jobs in the public or private sector, or be able to create their own jobs when they graduate.

He said the youth were a resource that needs to be fully harnessed to provide the critical ingredient for social cohesion and national development.

He also recounted that Dr Sam Jonah, the Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, who delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 69th ANYSC, had noted that “we cannot develop as a nation until we take bold decisions and act expeditiously to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive”

Prof Offei said: “When the private sector develops, jobs can be created to address the unemployment challenges facing the country”.

The Acting Provost of the College of Education, and the Dean of the School of Continuing and Distance Education at the University of Ghana, Michael Ayitey Tagoe, said one of the major objectives of the ANYSC was to shape public policy through the recommendations of the School.

He said one of the major outcomes of the 69th ANYSC had been the fact that Government alone could not create jobs; declaring that “The private sector must be seen to be leading the agenda of job creation in Ghana”.

Among the dignitaries who graced the closing ceremony was Professor Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, the immediate past Dean of the School of Continuing and Distance Education.

The event on the theme “Job Creation for Accelerated National Development: The Role of the Private Sector”, recorded an the participation of over 320 people, which is the highest ever over the past decade.

The ANYSC is organised annually by the School of Continuing and Distance Education, to provide a platform for a dispassionate discussion of important issues of national and international concern.

The week-long event was under the auspices of Komos Energy, Vodafone Ghana, Goil, Voltic, Daily Graphic, Prudential Bank and the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana.

–

Source: GNA

The post UG reviewing undergrad programmes to focus on entrepreneurship appeared first on Ghana News.

Member of pressure group, Occupy Ghana, Sydney Casely-Hayford has advised students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism to focus more on empowering themselves than on trivial things such as fashion.

According to him, most of the students at the University, a large number of whom are females, are more concerned about what they wear than their training.

“Go to the Ghana Institute of Journalism, GIJ, and look at the students who are coming out, majority of them are females and when you look at it, you will see that it is more of a fashion parade…so when we are talking about quality of journalism, they should tone down on the fashion and get a little bit more serious with the actual content,” he added.

File photo: GIJ

Mr. Casely-Hayford made the remark on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday on the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s encounter with the media.

The President met some journalists in the country at the Flagstaff House where he was asked questions on a number of topics spanning various sectors.

Ghanaians subsequently lambasted some of the journalists accusing them of asking irrelevant questions with a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa also questioning the relevance of some of the questions that were asked.

‘Sexist, baseless’

Meanwhile, unhappy with the remarks of Mr. Casely-Hayford, the Students’ Representative Council of GIJ issued a statement chastising the Occupy Ghana member and demanded an apology from him.

“Casely Hayford must apologize and retract his statement against female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism. The SRC finds his statement to be very sexist, unfortunate, unwarranted, unguided, without basis and an insult to the values of the Ghana Institute of Journalism,” the statement added.

Below is the full statement from the GIJ SRC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Casely Hayford must apologize and retract his statement against female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

The Students’ Representative Council of the Ghana Institute of Journalism has read a very unfortunate comment attributed to Mr. Casely Hayford of Occupy Ghana ( refer to image for details). The statement was said to have been made on Citi FM’s Saturday flagship program “The Big Issues” on 20th January 2018 and captured in several commentary on social media.

According to him, female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism are more “interested in fashion parades than empowering themselves”.

The SRC finds his statement to be very sexist, unfortunate, unwarranted, unguided, without basis and an insult to the values of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Mr. Casely Hayford in his statement sought to suggest that GIJ female students are only interested in fashion and that should partially be blamed for the “falling” standards in Journalism in the country.

GIJ SRC rejects his assertion completely and would like to  call on him to do the honourable thing of apologizing and retracting his statement.

We would also like to use this opportunity to draw his attention to the following:

1. GIJ remains the topmost Journalism Institution in Ghana. Till date, GIJ has produced the finest of Journalists and Communication professionals who have served and continue to serve this country in various capacities. The media ecosystem is incomplete without the contribution of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and especially its female students and products. GIJ is still in the business of producing journalists who are very professional.
2. GIJ has a robust practical teaching and learning structure that is designed to ensure that students of the Institute come out ready for the inky fraternity. If Casely Hayford and other like-minded people who support such sexist comment care to know, much of the country’s finest female Journalists and Communication professionals have been trained at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. The list is a very tall and non-exhaustive one-the likes of;
3. Adjoa Yeboah Afari

2.Gifty Anti

3. Naa Ashorkor

4.Kate Addo

5. Mabel Aku Banesseh

and a host of others who are not “engaging in fashion parades” in the industry but are shaping the course of Communication and Journalism in the country.

The current female students of the Institute are embarking on similar paths these stalwarts took during their stay at GIJ as many of them are taking up internship opportunities and chasing excellence as far as the learning of the profession is concerned.

It is even more interesting to note that the comment by Mr. Hayford was about the performance of Journalists at the recent Presidential Press Encounter; an issue the SRC has already addressed and made recommendations on.

The said recommendations have been published widely on various online portals.

It is very unfortunate that an opinion leader like Casely Hayford would not use his platform and such opportunities to discuss the quality of the state of Journalism independent of schools and of gender. The quality of Journalism, he and others should be minded, is a product of many things in this county  and not necessarily the training Institute or the conduct of a specific gender. It borders on the vision of media houses, the ability of the media houses to employ professionals, enforcement of standards by regulators and stakeholders and several other contingencies. It is shocking that he, who is supposed to know better, would reduce the discussion to such sexist commentary.

Casely Hayford has to apologize for his misrepresentation of females in GIJ and GIJ at large.

Signed

Nathaniel Alpha

General Secretary

GIJ-SRC

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post GIJ students more concerned about fashion than training – Sydney appeared first on Ghana News.

The Students’ Representative Council of the Ghana Institute of Journalism has chastised a member of Occupy Ghana, Sydney Casely-Hayford, for alleged ‘sexist’ remarks he made against the female students of the University.

They have called on the anti-corruption campaigner to retract and apologise for his comments which they described as “an insult to the values of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.”

Speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Sydney Casely-Hayford advised students of GIJ to focus more on empowering themselves than on trivial things such as fashion.

According to him, most of the students at the University, a large number of whom are females, are more concerned about what they wear than their training.

“Go to the Ghana Institute of Journalism, GIJ, and look at the students who are coming out, majority of them are females and when you look at it, you will see that it is more of a fashion parade…so when we are talking about quality of journalism, they should tone down on the fashion and get a little bit more serious with the actual content,” he added.

Sydney Casely-Hayford

Mr. Casely-Hayford made the remarks on the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s encounter with the media last Wednesday.

The President met some journalists in the country at the Flagstaff House where he was asked questions on a number of topics spanning various sectors.

Ghanaians subsequently lambasted some of the journalists, accusing them of asking irrelevant questions with a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa also questioning the relevance of some of the questions that were asked.

Below is the full statement from the GIJ SRC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Casely Hayford must apologize and retract his statement against female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

The Students’ Representative Council of the Ghana Institute of Journalism has read a very unfortunate comment attributed to Mr. Casely Hayford of Occupy Ghana ( refer to image for details). The statement was said to have been made on Citi FM’s Saturday flagship program “The Big Issues” on 20th January 2018 and captured in several commentary on social media.

According to him, female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism are more “interested in fashion parades than empowering themselves”.

The SRC finds his statement to be very sexist, unfortunate, unwarranted, unguided, without basis and an insult to the values of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Mr. Casely Hayford in his statement sought to suggest that GIJ female students are only interested in fashion and that should partially be blamed for the “falling” standards in Journalism in the country.

GIJ SRC rejects his assertion completely and would like to  call on him to do the honourable thing of apologizing and retracting his statement.

We would also like to use this opportunity to draw his attention to the following:

1. GIJ remains the topmost Journalism Institution in Ghana. Till date, GIJ has produced the finest of Journalists and Communication professionals who have served and continue to serve this country in various capacities. The media ecosystem is incomplete without the contribution of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and especially its female students and products. GIJ is still in the business of producing journalists who are very professional.
2. GIJ has a robust practical teaching and learning structure that is designed to ensure that students of the Institute come out ready for the inky fraternity. If Casely Hayford and other like-minded people who support such sexist comment care to know, much of the country’s finest female Journalists and Communication professionals have been trained at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. The list is a very tall and non-exhaustive one-the likes of;
3. Adjoa Yeboah Afari

2.Gifty Anti

3. Naa Ashorkor

4.Kate Addo

5. Mabel Aku Banesseh

and a host of others who are not “engaging in fashion parades” in the industry but are shaping the course of Communication and Journalism in the country.

The current female students of the Institute are embarking on similar paths these stalwarts took during their stay at GIJ as many of them are taking up internship opportunities and chasing excellence as far as the learning of the profession is concerned.

It is even more interesting to note that the comment by Mr. Hayford was about the performance of Journalists at the recent Presidential Press Encounter; an issue the SRC has already addressed and made recommendations on.

The said recommendations have been published widely on various online portals.

It is very unfortunate that an opinion leader like Casely Hayford would not use his platform and such opportunities to discuss the quality of the state of Journalism independent of schools and of gender. The quality of Journalism, he and others should be minded, is a product of many things in this county  and not necessarily the training Institute or the conduct of a specific gender. It borders on the vision of media houses, the ability of the media houses to employ professionals, enforcement of standards by regulators and stakeholders and several other contingencies. It is shocking that he, who is supposed to know better, would reduce the discussion to such sexist commentary.

Casely Hayford has to apologize for his misrepresentation of females in GIJ and GIJ at large.

Signed

Nathaniel Alpha

General Secretary

GIJ-SRC

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Apologise for ‘sexist’ comments – GIJ SRC to Casely-Hayford appeared first on Ghana News.

The Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) in the Volta Region, is calling on the government to expedite action in clearing the arrears of all teachers who were affected by the three-months pay policy by end of January, or face the wrath of all teachers across the country.

The teachers maintain that, the three-months pay policy was an unfavorable policy introduced by the Mahama government to make up for several months of accrued salaries unduly delayed as a result of the bureaucratic processes involved in the appointment of new teachers.

Addressing the Media in Ho, the Volta Regional Chairman, Solomon Takyi, applauded the new government for their decision to scrap the policy, but asked that affected teachers be paid their outstanding monies due them.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, since the introduction of the three months pay policy, teachers have been subjected to series of validation exercises some of which required affected teachers to queue and show all documents to enable them to receive their money. All these exercises yielded little or no result.”

“…I wish to commend the government for their support to make three (3) months pay killer policy a thing of past by securing financial clearance and all the necessary documentation for salary payment before issuing appointment letters to newly recruited teachers”.

He however accused personnel at the Controller and Accountant General of favoritism in disbursing the salaries, warning that such actions would create problems for the teacher unions.

“Our checks revealed that, salary arrears are being paid to teachers who go to negotiate with personnel at the Controller and Accountant Generals Department at a fee. When this continues, the purpose for the three (3) months pay policy will be defeated. I, therefore call on all the stakeholders to ensure those salary arrears are paid to deserving teachers by the end of January 2018 or face the wrath of teachers”.

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By: King Nobert Akpabli/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t must clear ‘3 months salary policy’ arrears – Volta CCT appeared first on Ghana News.

Academic activities have come to a halt at the Gyaama Pensan Senior High Technical School in the Kwabre East District  of the Ashanti Region, following disturbances by students.

Four of the students are currently responding to treatment at the Aboaso Government Hospital after they sustained injuries in the course of the riot.

The angry students are protesting against the headmaster of the school, whom they say has prevented them from partaking in extra curricula activities such as inter-school sports competition, quizzes and entertainment.

The students have vandalized school properties including the vehicle of the headmaster and his apartment.

Police officers have been dispatched to the school to maintain law and order, whiles some worried parents are trooping to the school.

DCE for the Kwabre East District, Regional and District Directors of the Ghana Education, and school authorities, are locked up in a meeting over the matter.

Meanwhile, two out of four students who were admitted at the Aboaso Government Hospital after sustaining injuries in the riot have been discharged.

Two other female students are also responding to treatment at the hospital.

Principal Physician Assistant at the Aboaso Government hospital, Esther Akua Prempeh Konadu, told Citi News the students are out of any danger.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 4 students of Gyaama Pensan SHS injured in demo against headmaster appeared first on Ghana News.

She also explained that the initial 20 percent sent to the schools in September 2017 “was based on raw estimations because as of the time we were releasing the funds, we didn’t have the exact enrollment numbers so it was more of an approximation.”

She said the Ministry has also paid GHc3,392,031 as arrears for 264 schools during the first term.

“After we had been able to confirm the enrollment numbers based on the signed list that the individual schools submitted to the secretariat, we have now come to the conclusion that about [264] schools had some arrears to be paid to cover for the first term,” Mrs. Gyan Kwakye said.

Prior payments

In September 2017, the government released for disbursement half of the GHc 486 million for the policy.

That amount was to serve the over 400,000 first-year students who benefited from the Free SHS policy this 2017/2018 academic year.

At the beginning of 2018, the government also released GHc62,606,403, in three installment payments for the delivery of food items to Senior High Schools in the country to the National Food Buffer Stock Company.

In terms of other notable expenses under the policy, the government set aside an amount of GHc80 million to address challenges relating to furniture.

Budgetary allocation for Free SHS ‘woefully inadequate’ – Ablakwa

National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has described the government’s budgetary allocation for Free SHS as woefully inadequate to support the programme.

According to him, government would need at least two billion cedis to support Free SHS in 2018, 800 million cedis more than the amount that was allocated to it in the budget.

‘You can’t run education with voluntary funds’

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 come under fire from the Minority who believe this is an indication that government does not have the funds to properly implement its much-touted programme.

And according to Okudzeto Ablakwa, the government cannot afford to rely on the voluntary funds as a source of funding for free SHS, as projections for those funds may not materialize.

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By: Kojo Agyeman & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Free SHS: Ghc35.9m released to schools for 2nd term appeared first on Ghana News.

Total Petroleum Ghana, a locally listed oil marketing giant in the country, has donated computers to the Osu Presbyterian Preparatory and Primary School in Accra.

‘The gesture is in line with the corporate social responsibility of the company to support education’, as stated by the Managing Director, Eric Fanchini, during the presentation in the computer lab of the school, along with other Managers of Total Petroleum Ghana, the Headmistress, School Teachers and the Board of Directors of the School.

The computers with accompanying keyboards and system units will contribute to increasing the resources of the school and to aid in the teaching and studying of ICT.

Making reference to other company initiatives on education, Mr. Eric Fanchini mentioned Total Safety Cube, ‘a safety programme the company has championed with the support of Road Safety Agencies since 2013.’ ‘The programme focuses on sensitizing school children in high-risk areas on road safety through practical demonstrations and donation of safety kits.’  In 2017, about 8,200 pupils were impacted by this education in both Upper East Region and the Northern Region.’ ‘In addition to this, the company has constructed a school facility comprising a 3-unit block, an office, a playground, a KVIP, and a urinal facility in the Jirapa District in the Upper West Region.’

He further explained that the objective of Total Petroleum Ghana wasn’t solely to sell petroleum products but to build the society and create avenues to better the lives of people in the community in which it has served for over sixty years; evidenced by its recognition as the Corporate Social Responsibility Company at the Ghana Energy Awards in 2017.

He urged the students to use the computers to research and create new things.

The Board Chairman of the School, Mr. Mawuli Ababio, lauded the effort of the company and thanked them for coming to the aid of the school.

The Headmistress of the School, Madam Veronica Appiah-Kubi expressed gratitude for the computers adding that, it came in at a moment where the school needed such resources.

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Credit: Total Ghana

The post Total Ghana donates computers to Osu Presby School appeared first on Ghana News.

Health officials in the Ashanti Region on Monday vaccinated 114 additional students of the Kumasi Academy against the H1N1 Influenza type A, also known as Swine flu.

The number was part of the 174 students who could not take part in the vaccination exercise in December 2017, when the general vaccination was done following a detection of the virus.

Speaking to Citi News, the Asokore Mampong Municipal Health Director, Ofori Amoah Justice, said the number of students who turned up for the exercise was encouraging.

He also encouraged other students who have not been vaccinated to ensure that they receive their injections.

“There were some students who were not vaccinated on the 21st to 22^nd December, so the health authorities and the school agreed on a date that today [Monday], that we will get all those who were not vaccinated against the H1N1. Actually, we were supposed to have vaccinated 174 students, but only 114 turned up, which to me is encouraging. We keep encouraging that the students come to school. When they come they should also make themselves available that they were not vaccinated in the previous and this current vaccination sessions so that together we will fight against the diseases, even though we have declared the epidemic to be over. But prevention is better than cure. We don’t want any episode of any diseases outbreak again.”

Four deaths were recorded at the school back in April 2017 from a suspected meningitis outbreak. But fourothers died in November, and the suspicion was that, they may have died from the H1N1 virus, after samples from some hospitalized students tested positive for the virus.

Respiratory samples sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research also indicated that there was an outbreak of an acute respiratory infection which the Health Ministry has since attributed as the cause of some of the deaths.

A private company was recently contracted by the Ministry of Education to carry out a fumigation exercise at the school following the suspected swine flu outbreak.

Most of the students left the school for their various homes, for fear of contracting the infection without taking the vaccines.

Speaking to Citi News after the latest vaccination exercise, Asokore Mampong Municipal Health Director, Ofori Amoah Justice, said the exercise will continue until the total student population is covered.

“The exercise is good, but coincidentally the students are having games, which did not allow them to come as expected, but we envisage that by close of week all those we didn’t get we will mob them up, and make sure we have the total population in KUMACA vaccinated, which means that we have about 90 to 99% of the population vaccinated against the H1N1 disease.”

He further pleaded with parents, students and the school authorities to report to the closest health facility any symptom of the infection for medical attention.

“I will use this opportunity to also inform parents and caretakers that we are in the meningitis season, and so we should be aware of any unusual happenings. Atypical example is headache, fever, neck pains, when you see any of these signs, please do report immediately to any nearby health facility and any necessary action that needs to be done will be done.”

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By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 114 KUMACA additional students vaccinated against Swine flu appeared first on Ghana News.