Some of the reasons why the boarding component in our state-assisted senior high schools must be removed. And

Now can we begin to have a calm national conversation?

1. Ghana has never been able to afford boarding as a major component of its state-owned education system, we cannot afford it, and not wanting to admit this puts us in some danger.

2. Since state-owned education was introduced over a thousand years ago in some countries, no nation on earth, has considered boarding as a necessary component of it.

3. That fact covers the most populous, the richest, and the most powerful nations on our planet: like China, Japan, US, and Russia (former USSR) In those countries and almost everywhere else, SECONDARY EDUCATION COVERS BETWEEN 90% AND 95% OF THE POPULATION, IT IS DAY, and IT IS FREE.

4. Apart from the confusion they have created around the issue by calling boarding secondaries “public schools” while they run them as private institutions, the British who introduced the model to us never attempted to use it for their state-owned system. (Please check this out on Google, Wikipedia, or the current UK High commissioner in Accra.)

5. Even for us, the British had meant boarding as a temporary measure to create a local nucleus to help them run the Gold Coast as a colonial space.

6. It was quite unfortunate that after independence, we not only kept boarding as part of the national educational system, but also allowed it to expand to its current unmanageable levels.

7. We can be bold enough to say that until the current government rolled out the free SHS program, state assistance covered less than 30% of Ghana children. The remaining 70% or so were just abandoned in the rural and urban poor areas.

8. It was reckless of this country’s professional and mercantile elite to insist that the Ghanaian state undertook to board and feed their children when they are most ably placed to take care of the physical needs of their children. It is also to be noted that at this stage in their lives young people eat like rabbits. That was the original African state capture!

9. In some or most of the co-ed institutions the girls are shared among the headmasters and the male teaching staff as special stables for their own private use.

10. Over the last several weeks, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, has been struggling to get us to see that currently our boarding schools are now also sites that threaten the health of our young people.

11. In any group of healthy boys and girls, the SHS years are about personal biology and the exploration of different sexualities. Especially where the environment is encouraging. So boarding schools have always been spaces for the growth of homosexuality. (It is to be noted that I’m not against any sexual preferences, because I don’t consider myself competent or knowledgeable enough to judge.)

12. But it is evident of the most dangerous form of hypocrisy to insist that being gay is evil, irreligious, untraditional etc., while at the same time, we worship boarding schools as the only spaces where we can get our own and other people’s children educated properly. Worse, we try and hold ALL our governments, past and present, to ransom over this issue.

What kind of people are we?

P.S. Against this background, the idea that some religious bodies have been in conversation with governments about the possibility of taking back the management of their former missionary schools is the most confused, impracticable, backward-looking notion to enter the debate.

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By: Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo (Writer, educationist)

The post Ghana’s SHS crisis: An elitist addiction to boarding schools and its consequences [Article] appeared first on Ghana News.

The Akropong Magistrate Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region has remanded a Sports teacher at the Mpasatia Senior High/Technical School into prison custody for alleged rape.

Alex Akwasi Sarpong was arrested by Police at Nkawie and charged with rape.

Citi News understands that parents of the 17-year old female student visited the school and packed her belongings.

Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Atwima Division of the Police Service, ASP Sylvanus Dalmeida, who confirmed the incident said the accused person will re-appear in court on 8th March.

“Actually we had a case of rape against one Alex Akwasi Sarpong of Mpasatia Senior High School Technical School which has been processed for court. It is now with the Akropong Magistrate Court. He was charged for raping a 17-year old student,” he said.

Citi News sources in the school say the victim is pregnant, but the police say their investigation so far has not confirmed any pregnancy.

ASP Dalmeida indicated that the condition of the student is normal, and that she has been visiting the hospital for review.

Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Helen Techie Mensah, was clueless about the condition of the student.

Mrs. Mensah, who declined to speak on record said she cannot locate the parents of the victim.

The headmistress also denied allegations that she intervened to take monies from the said teacher to settle parents of the victim.

She also indicated that she has left the matter in the hands of the police and cannot do anything further on the incident.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Court remands Mpasatia SHS sports tutor for rape appeared first on Ghana News.

The General Legal Council (GLC) may have plans to decentralise the training of lawyers according to the Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga.

After a meeting on Tuesday with the General Legal Council and Attorney General’s office to consider the Legal Profession Regulations 2017 LI, Mr. Ayariga revealed that the Council said it had Bill to allow for the establishment of other law schools, in addition to other amendments to the Legal Professions Act.

“The General Legal Council said that they also had a Bill to establish the law school and to make provision for them to license and accredit the establishment of other law schools,” the MP said on Eyewitness News.

He was speaking after the Subsidiary Legislation Committee decided to reject petitions from law students and adopt parts of the Legal Profession Regulations 2017 LI which allow for the conduct of entrance examinations for admission into the school.

But the committee will recommend that the Ghana Legal Council not be allowed to conduct interviews for entrants into the Ghana School of Law as had been the case before the Supreme Court declared it illegal.

Mr. Ayariga, however, admitted that deeper issue lay unresolved but he indicated that the General Legal Council has received some Cabinet backing for a Bill amending the Legal Professions Act, Act 32 to address some of the concerns.

“So we think that the other wider issues would be addressed in this substantive legislation that will come to us. The immediate issue is to deal with the Supreme Court issue to pass the amendment so that you can conduct exams and have admissions for 2018.”

Possible reform

The Ghana Law School has been criticized for its formal structure which some have described as restrictive.

The Ghana School of Law is the only institution authorized to provide the professional legal training and it serves over 1o 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 2017, critics of the current system called for the school to be scrapped, with IMANI Africa’s Vice President, Kofi Bentil, suggesting the Ghana Law School be turned into an examination body.

The Member of Parliament for North Dayi, Jocelyn Tetteh, joined calls for the decentralization of the training of lawyers in Ghana, arguing that reforms would liberalize the training of lawyers and ease the pressure on the Ghana Law School.

The Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo during her vetting in June 2017

But the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, downplayed such calls for the Ghana Law School to be scrapped saying the school provided much more than theoretical training.

During her vetting in June 2017, she maintained that “when you want to be called a lawyer, a professional, then you come to the professional school, like in architecture, you do the theory and then there are the practicals. Same with medicine, you do the classroom work and then you get to the clinicals.”

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

The post GLC considering licensing more law schools – Mahama Ayariga appeared first on Ghana News.

citifmonline.com understands that over 70 students of the St Vincent College of Education at Yendi in the Northern Region have been asked to go home for using grade D7 in English, Mathematics and Science to gain admission into the college.

According to the school, the decision was taken following a directive from the Executive Secretary for the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE). This was the explanation cited in a letter given to one of the affected students.

The letter signed by the Principal of the College, Erasmus Nario Multi, said the decision was taken during a meeting with principals of public colleges of education, “called at the instance of the Minister for Education [Matthew Opoku Prempeh].”

“…We have been formally instructed to withdraw all unqualified students who do not meet the current minimum entry requirements into public colleges of education. It is in line with this directive that we the management of St Vincent College of Education, Yendi, are writing to formally inform you that your ward/student….whose submitted grades do not meet the current criterion of entry into a public college of education is withdrawn from the college forthwith,” the letter addressed to one of the affected students stated.

Per entry requirements of tertiary institutions in Ghana, applicants with West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results are supposed to among other things have good grades ranging from A1 to C6 in core (English, Mathematics and Science) and elective subjects.

According St Vincent College of Education, although they admitted students who had D7, the students were informed of the consequences they could face if they do not better their grades.

“It should be noted that on admission, your ward was formally informed by the Assistant college secretary Mr. Solomon Zakaria through direct telephone calls and orally upon arrival on campus, that if they are unable to redeem the unqualified grades on time (prior to the formal verification of admitted students), they will be withdrawn from the college,” the letter added.

The school further assured the affected students that “all items or services for which your ward might have paid, and yet have not been provided or supplied, would be refunded once the College reopens for the 2nd semester of the 2017-2018 academic year.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Mohammed Aminu M Alabira/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post St. Vincent College of Education sacks over 70 students with poor grades appeared first on Ghana News.

The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) will from today [Friday] embark on a strike to protest the amendment of certain sections of the 2016 Act that establishes Technical universities.

The amendment bill which is currently before Parliament seeks to grant powers to the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) to perform functions which TUTAG argues fall within the purview of the Governing Councils, the Academic Boards and the Principal Officers of Universities in Ghana.

The Chairman of the Ho chapter of TUTAG, Albert Laurent Sakabutu, told Citi News the action will begin with a sit down strike from today to Monday.

“We will have an emergency meeting on all campuses and we’ll tell our people the roadmap for the strike action. It will begin with a sit down strike till Monday and we’ll continue with a roadmap that will be agreed upon on by close of day today. It is nationwide in all the institutions,” he said.

The Technical University’s Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), called on the President Akufo-Addo and the Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in October 2017, to stop the National Council for Tertiary Education’s (NCTE) illegal directives being imposed on the various technical universities.

“The NCTE’s directive on ratification of Harmonized Conditions of Service [which varies from one Technical University to the other] contravenes several sections of the Labour Act 2003, Act 651, which relates to the right of workers to negotiate terms and conditions of employment in Ghana. The right of staff of technical universities to negotiate the relevant terms and conditions of service will be denied or severely curtailed if the proposed procedure by NCTE prevails,” Regional TUTAG President, Peter Awuni stated.

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By: Philip Nii Lartey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post TUTAG begins strike over proposed Technical Uni amendment bill appeared first on Ghana News.

According to him, the impression created by the Minister of Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh over the deal was to “paint him [Ernest Aryeetey] black” and a “deliberate effort to tarnish my image.”

The Minister, who said this in an interview with Peace FM’s Kwame Sefa Kayi indicated that the University under the previous government, entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students’ hostels for undergraduate and post-graduate students at the Legon campus.

He explained that under the agreement, the University of Ghana is expected to pay a total amount of 10 million dollars to Africa Integras every year for a period of 25 years.

Mr. Prempeh however indicated that the school had in recent times defaulted in the payment – a situation he believes could lead to the school’s assets being seized.

“University of Ghana might be put up for sale because it entered into an agreement and the school is unable to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract. Under this contract, Legon is expected to pay 10 million dollars every year for 25 years. If Legon is unable to settle this loan, its assets will be seized,” said the Minister.

But Prof. Aryeetey in a statement said the Ministers claims are “further from the truth.”

He clarified that the University of Ghana under his leadership did not borrow such an amount.

“The Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana and the Minister of Education of Ghana are trying very hard to make the world believe that I led the University to borrow $64.4 million to build a students hostel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The University of Ghana never borrowed any such money!!!”

Professor Aryeetey said what the Minister failed to understand was that the $64.4 million was borrowed by Africa Integras “to build 5 structures at Legon at a total cost of $64.4 million.”

“Africa Integras borrowed a part of that money from the US government agency, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The rest of the funds came from the private company WP Carey as its equity in the deal. The project was to be undertaken on a ‘Build, Operate and Transfer’ basis.”

“What this meant was that Africa Integras would own the buildings and rent out space in them to Legon. The University was not going to rent simple empty space. The space was going to be fully furnished and equipped for teaching and research purposes. It included modern state of the art and well equipped laboratories for the science units of the university. And all of this was going to be maintained and managed by Africa Integras for 25 years at agreed high standards. This is what the VC and the Minister have deliberately refused to tell the world for reasons best known to them.”

He added that the university undertook a thorough feasibility analysis on the project to ensure that the university was not being shortchanged before it was approved.

He further added that he is convinced that the project was in the best interest of the university.

“l am convinced that the agreement was in the best interest of the University in order to solve its many space and modern technology problems. This is especially so since it provided for discussion and renegotiation at a future date at the request of either party.”

The former Vice Chancellor however accused the current Vice Chancellor of throwing dust in the eyes of the public because he has no interest in the project.

“The agreement provided for various ways in which the University could finance its annual rent payments. Without exploring these financing options, the new University management had concluded that it cannot afford the project. In order to justify the VC’s lack of interest in the project, he has told one lie after the other. Unfortunately people who should be more discerning, have believed him without subjecting the agreement and the processes leading to it, to any proper scrutiny,” he added in the statement.

On claims by the Education Minister that government was not aware of the project, Professor Aryeetey rejected such allegations.

“The Minister also made the point that the Government of Ghana was kept in the dark about the project. This is clearly false and we can easily prove that. I can assure the whole world that nothing illegal, immoral or irregular occurred in the negotiation of this deal. I was never offered any incentive whatsoever by the parties we negotiated with. And I never asked for anything!”

Below is the full statement from Professor Aryeetey:

The Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana and the Minister of Education of Ghana are trying very hard to make the world believe that I led the University to borrow $64.4 million to build a students hostel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The University of Ghana never borrowed any such money!!!

What they have both failed to understand is that the University entered into a concession agreement with Africa Integras, an American company, to build 5 structures at Legon at a total cost of $64.4 million. Africa Integras borrowed a part of that money from the US government agency, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The rest of the funds came from the private company WP Carey as its equity in the deal. The project was to be undertaken on a “Build, Operate and Transfer” basis. What this meant was that Africa Integras would own the buildings and rent out space in them to Legon. The University was not going to rent simple empty space. The space was going to be fully furnished and equipped for teaching and research purposes. It included modern state of the art and well equipped laboratories for the science units of the university. And all of this was going to be maintained and managed by Africa Integras for 25 years at agreed high standards. This is what the VC and the Minister have deliberately refused to tell the world for reasons best known to them.

The University undertook extensive feasibility analysis of the project through its Business School and concluded that using the BOT approach was far better than borrowing directly. The agreement provided for various ways in which the University could finance its annual rent payments. Without exploring these financing options, the new University management had concluded that it cannot afford the project. In order to justify the VC’s lack of interest in the project, he has told one lie after the other. Unfortunately people who should be more discerning, have believed him without subjecting the agreement and the processes leading to it, to any proper scrutiny.

l am convinced that the agreement was in the best interest of the University in order to solve its many space and modern technology problems. This is especially so since it provided for discussion and renegotiation at a future date at the request of either party.

The Minister also made the point that the Government of Ghana was kept in the dark about the project. This is clearly false and we can easily prove that.

I can assure the whole world that nothing illegal, immoral or irregular occurred in the negotiation of this deal. I was never offered any incentive whatsoever by the parties we negotiated with. And I never asked for anything!

I believe that the deliberate effort to tarnish my image is driven by other issues and differences that have nothing to do with this project. Stopping the project, as UG has done, is not only going to deprive Ghanaian students of modern learning facilities, but going to add several millions of dollars to the cost unnecessarily. It is the hope of the Minister of Education and the University Management that when that happens, they can conveniently blame Ernest Aryeetey for it.

I trust fully in the Good Lord to show Ghanaians the truth. I also hope that other persons who know the truth will find the courage to speak out publicly.

Ernest Aryeetey

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

The post Education Minister ‘lying’ to paint me black – Prof. Aryeetey appeared first on Ghana News.

Yale University President, Peter Salovey, will make his inaugural visit to Africa with a trip to Ghana.

Peter Salovey’s visit to Ghana forms part of six-day trip from March 10 to March 16 that will also take him to Kenya.

The visit comes on the eve of the 5th year of the Yale Africa initiative, a university-wide effort he announced at his inauguration in 2013.

The Initiative promotes African scholarship, contemporary discourse, and research at Yale and in Africa.

It aims to strengthen Yale’s relationships with African institutions, increases career opportunities for Yale students across Africa, while attracting the best and the brightest African scholars to Yale.

Over his six-day visit, President Salovey and his team will convene conversations and meetings linked to this initiative.

They will also be renewing partnerships and exploring new avenues to strengthen existing relationships.

Events in Ghana will include a Yale Leadership Forum bringing together alumni of various Yale constituents such as the Senior African Women’s Leaders network, a group of prominent women in government; the Yale World Fellows, and other notable alumni.

The forum will explore the question of strengthening leadership pipelines to foster greater inclusion and enable positive impact in society.

Yale University will also be renewing its partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at the University of Ghana, and the Fox International Fellowship.

In Kenya, there will be a symposium on Power of Partnership in Strengthening University Research.

It will be co-hosted with the African Academy of Sciences. On the back of this symposium will be the reaffirmation of strong links to entities such as the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the National Museums of Kenya, the Kenyan Agricultural Research Organization (KALRO), the Mara Conservancy and others.

They will also co-host a town hall on ‘Leadership and Impact” with Strathmore University as they welcome Strathmore Business School to the Global Network for Advanced Management the first network member from the East Africa region.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Yale University President to visit Ghana on March 10 appeared first on Ghana News.

A five-member Audit Committee has been inaugurated at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) with a call on members to champion risk management practices in order to enhance the governance framework of the university.

The committee has Professor Omane Antwi, Representative of Internal Audit Agency (IAA) as its chairman while other members include Mr Samuel Peterson Larbi who is also a representative of IAA, Mr Kofi Abaidoo from the Institute of Chartered Accountants as well as representatives of the Council, Dr Thomas Agyarko-Poku and Dr Edem Amenumey.

They will serve a two-year term subject to renewal.

The Audit Committee is expected to, among other things, review and advice the University on strategic and annual internal audit plans and monitor the implementation of agreed audit recommendations.

Furthermore, it will help to promote the effective functioning of the Internal Audit Unit and follow up on the implementation of audit recommendations to ensure efficient and effective utilization of public resources in line with the objectives of the Public Financial Management Act.

Inaugurating the committee, Mrs Nancy Thompson, Chairperson of the UCC Governing Council, said the appointment of the Committee was in fulfilment of Section, 86(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), Section 30(1) of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584).

That Act required all institutions subject to auditing by the Auditor-General to establish Audit Committees.

She said the Committee has been mandated to annually prepare statements showing the status of implementation of any recommendation contained in all audit reports of the Auditor-General which have been accepted by Parliament and any other related directives from Parliament.

Mrs Thompson urged them to be objective and discharge their duties with commitment, diligence, professionalism, transparency and teamwork.

“In executing your responsibilities, members and secretarial staff may have access to confidential information. Therefore, it is important to maintain strict confidentiality of proceedings and materials to the fullest extent” she said.

She expressed confidence that the Committee would be a major organ through which corruption could be reduced and called on members to bring their knowledge, expertise and experience to bear.

Mr Ransford Agyei, the Acting Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, said the establishment of the audit committees would ensure public accountability, transparency, efficient operational and financial performance and safeguard the judicious use of public assets.

He said the Committee had authority to conduct or authorise investigations into any matter within its scope or responsibility so as to champion transparency and accountability at the university.

Mr Agyei urged members of the Committee to acquaint themselves with the laws, policies and rules that govern the establishment of the university as well as the PFM Act 921.

The Chairman, Professor Omane Antwi on behalf of the Committee implored the internal auditors and the entire university community to provide them with the needed information that would help them provide insightful guidance to the Vice Chancellor and the university’s governing council.

He said the committee would operate in an environment of cooperation and trust and discharge their duties as the law required.

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Source: GNA

The post UCC Inaugurates five-member audit committee appeared first on Ghana News.

The Chief Executive for the Yendi Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region, Alhaji Abubakari H. Yusuf has petitioned the president, Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene and ensure that the president’s annual award to students who excelled in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is given to the deserving student from that part of the country.

According to the MCE, the student who will be honoured with the Region’s top prize did not deserve the award as he secured relatively weaker scores in the exams than his colleague.

Miss Hasanatu, according to the petition sighted by Citi News had attended a scheduled interview ahead of the naming of the award winner and had initially been informed that she would receive the award.

However, she later received news that another candidate had been chosen instead, despite having earned better scores.

The MCE is, therefore, calling on the president to ensure that the right person is awarded to ensure fairness and justice.

“She was invited for an interview which she attended. After the interview, she was informed that she has been selected for the award. Her parents were duly informed to prepare her for the award. Surprisingly, I got information that, she has been replaced by someone who obtained five ones.”

“It is this backdrop that, I have tendered in this petition on her behalf for your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana to intervene for the right thing to be done, for justice and fairness to prevail in this matter, please,” the MCE added in the petition.

The president every year awards students who excel in the BECE from the 10 regions of the country on the 6th of March.

This serves as motivation for others to also improve in heir studies.

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By: Mohammed Aminu M Alabira/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post MCE petitions President over BECE award appeared first on Ghana News.

Police in the Eastern Region have commenced investigations into the death of a male student at Ofori Panin Senior High School (OPASS) in the Eastern Region, who was reportedly struck by lightning on Sunday night.

The deceased and his friend were in their dormitory when lightning reportedly struck both of them.

Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh who spoke to Citi News, indicated that the families of both students are yet to contact the police.

“Last [Sunday] night around 10:00pm, police had the information that around that same time lightning had struck 2 male students of Ofori Panyin Senior High School in their dormitory. Unfortunately, one student died on the spot and the other student is in a critical condition receiving treatment at the Tafo Community Hospital”.

The remains of the deceased have since been deposited at the Tafo Government Hospital awaiting an autopsy.

The police are making frantic efforts through the headmaster of the school to establish contact with families of both students.

“The body of the student has been deposited at the Tafo government hospital mortuary awaiting autopsy. Even though we know it was thunder that killed him, it is still an unnatural death so we have begun our investigations into it”.

School authorities are however tight-lipped about the incident.

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

The post Police investigate death of Ofori Panin SHS student appeared first on Ghana News.

The Ghana National Union of Technical Students (GNUTS) has kicked against what it calls attempts by government to transfer the management of technical universities from governing councils to the National Council of Tertiary Education [NTCE], and the Ministry of Education.

According to the students, attempts to amend sections of the Technical University Act seek to sabotage the effective running of technical universities.

“Since the conversion of the polytechnics to technical universities in September 2016, these institutions are still running the same programs as they were when they were polytechnics, and have not been given clearance by the National Council for Technical Education (NCTE) to begin offering a straightaway 4-year degree program. This has largely affected the technical universities and is contributing to low patronage by applicants…In spite of the crippling but avoidable challenge affecting technical universities, government intends to worsen the case of these institutions with unnecessary sections in the technical universities (amendment) bill 2017.”

The students criticized the Education Ministry for championing the cause to cede management of their schools to the NCTE.

They said the Ministry was engaged in acts to promote “oppressive and dictatorial management of tertiary institutions.”

“The proposed amendments, in summary, seeks to take away the autonomy enjoyed by the Technical Universities just as it exists in all other Universities in Ghana. It is beyond reasonable comprehension that the Ministry which is expected to champion and observe best practices in education management has now become the proponent of oppressive and dictatorial management of tertiary institutions.”

While urging the government to reconsider the proposal, the student’s body threatened to stage a protest if the government does not take a positive action on the matter.

TUTAG to strike over NTCE’s attempt to ‘undermine’ technical universities

The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), had earlier threatened to embark on strike if some sections of the 2016 Act that establishes Technical universities are amended.

According to the Chairman of the Ho chapter of TUTAG, Albert Laurent Sakabutu, the amendment is going to make it impossible for technical universities to do anything on their own without recourse to the Ministry of Education and the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE).

“We are being told that anything you want to acquire in terms of property you need to seek to approval from the NCTE, this is in clear contravention with the Public Procurement law and the Public Finance Management Act,” he said.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post GNUTS kicks against moves by NCTE to ‘manage’ Technical universities appeared first on Ghana News.

The Ghana National Union of Technical Students (GNUTS), has said the Bolgatanga and Wa Polytechnics face imminent collapse due to low students’ enrolment.

Mr Abdul Rahaman Ibrahim, GNUTS Coordinating Secretary said the Bolgatanga and Wa Polytechnics, which are also facing challenges of low intake of students should be converted into technical universities to forestall their collapse.

He explained that following the conversion of some of the nation’s polytechnics into technical universities in September 2016, leaving behind the Bolgatanga and Wa Polytechnics, the two institutions are now experiencing a serious decline in enrollment.

Mr Ibrahim made the appeal at a press conference to outline GNUTS’s grievances to government for redress.

Other GNUTS officials at the meeting included Mohammed Kamaru-Deen, Presideent; Bawa Alhassan, Treasurer; Andrews Obeng Tuwmasi, Public Relatiosn Officer; and Ms Sandra Iddrisu Agoli, Women Commissioner.

The rest are Issah Abdul Somed, Research Officer; Alhassan Abdul Mutalib, GNUTS Ambassador; Ernest Addison, Accra Technical University Students Representative Council (SRC) President; and Ms Selina Assane, Accra Technical University SRC Women Commissioner.

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Source: GNA

The post Low enrolment threatens Wa, Bolga Polytechnics – GNUTS appeared first on Ghana News.

The National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), has suspended the Rector of the Cape Coast Polytechnic, Prof. Lawrence Atepor to allow for a probe to commence investigations into allegations of diverse improprieties against him.

In a letter addressed to the Rector, dated February 26, 2018, and signed by the Executive Secretary of the Council, Prof. Mohammed Salifu, the Council stated that its decision is borne out of a petition it has received accusing the Rector of diverse improprieties.

The letter partly reads, “The allegations relate to lack of accountability in the use of resources of the Polytechnic, breach of rules and procedures and disregard for due process and directives from judicial authorities, among other things”.

The suspension is with immediate effect, and the embattled Rector has been ordered to hand over the administration of the Polytechnic to the Vice Rector of the institution.

Information available to Citi News indicates the suspended Rector is set to meet officials of the Ministry of Education and the NCTE on Wednesday when investigations into his alleged acts are to commence.

Meanwhile, the National Council for Tertiary Education says the status of Cape Coast Polytechnic as a Technical University is currently being finalized in Parliament, and thus the public should be careful using the brand ‘Technical University’ to refer to the institution.

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By: Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NCTE suspends Cape Coast Polytechnic Rector appeared first on Ghana News.

Thirty students drawn from the 10 regions of the country have received awards from President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for their academic excellence in the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Out of the 30 awardees, four are students with special needs; two visually impaired and two with hearing impairment.

Each student took home a citation, certificate, plaque, a gold medal, a Samsung tablet, one-year supply of Nestle products, a book supply from EPP Bookshop and GHȼ1,000.00 cash.

Speaking at a colourful ceremony in Accra to present the awards, President Akufo-Addo said education was key to development and democratic growth of every country, hence the rollout of the free Senior High School (SHS) programme, as well as other initiatives to ensure that all children of school going age have access to education.

“When children fall through cracks it holds back the growth and development of the country as well as the fight against the nation’s quest to reduce illiteracy rate,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated that government had rolled out a roadmap for the implementation of a five-year strategic plan for the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

The move, he explained, would transform the country’s labour force to create employment and enhance productivity.

While urging the awardees to learn hard, the President praised the parents for their support and encouraged them to continue supporting the children by providing them with the necessary resources to be able to complete their education.

Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, Minister of Education said every child had a right to education and that, no child should lack education due to poverty.

He said in years past, as many as 11,000 students could not get access to public SHS but as government implemented the free education programme, some 90,000 children have had access to SHS.

The Minister of Education announced that plans were far advanced to timely deliver teaching and learning materials to schools to facilitate teaching and learning.

Mrs Freda Duplan, Managing Director of Nestle Ghana, said the company has for the past 25 years been the lead sponsor of the Awards, keeping a tradition of a strong commitment to education delivery and sports at the basic level in Ghana.

She noted that the company was implementing a WASH project to promote safe water and sanitation across communities in Ghana.

Mrs Duplan said the company would soon introduce Nestle Healthy kids to promote healthy lifestyle among school children.

The Presidential award was instituted in 1993, to award scholarship to deserving BECE graduates.

Originally, 10 students from each of the 10 regions were awarded until 2001, upon a suggestion from the Ghana Education Service; the number was increased to 20 to give it a gender perspective for a boy and a girl each from the 10 regions.

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Source: GNA

The post Thirty students receive 2017 Presidential BECE Award appeared first on Ghana News.

The Sangy Foundation, an NGO, has painted some pedestrian crossings for some basic schools in Accra, including the Holy Family Catholic Cluster of Schools.

The school comprises a church, the Abossey Okai RC Basic and JHS, Mataheko Basic and JHS and St. Peter Claver School, a French school.

Co-Founder of the Foundation Sarah Nana Yeboah said the project was just the latest the company had undertaken a part of its social responsibility to ensure that children can access to education and proper health care safely.

“Over the years our aim has been to promote quality education and healthcare in the country. And over the past five years we have renovated schools, we have built some, we have built libraries, we have signed about six thousand children onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), we supply school material and we pay school fees for girls,” she said

“I think that making the road safe on this patriotic day is to just give back to society in the little way we can. It’s not going to be a one-day affair; we want to make the business of this country my personal business and the business of our volunteers. It’s about time people of this country take up the responsibilities of this country and help.”

The gesture, she noted, is borne out of the need to address the alarming rate of road crashes involving children.

She added that research indicates that a large number of these accidents are caused by the absence of the zebra crossings.

According to Madam Yeboah, the move will ensure commercial drivers obey motor and traffic regulations to prevent further loss of lives, particularly involving children, on our roads.

“In 2018, as a nurse at Ridge Hospital myself, and after a lot of surveys, research we released showed that road traffic accidents are a major problem in this country. We decided to take an aspect of it, so we decided to go with keeping our children safe on our roads, and this is our theme and campaign for 2018, from educating children on how to use our roads, to educating drivers on how to ply the roads and respect children when they are on the roads.”

She stated that her outfit had partnered with the Road Safety Commission and a few other groups on the project.

“I work with extremely passionate volunteers who are ready to go around the country, anywhere. We are going to do two or three markings every month.

“We are blessed to have the National Road Safety Commission on board, the Department of Urban Roads, a Bloomberg philanthropist, an international NGO and Level 300 students of the Central University on board. We feel that the government of this country has a lot of problems on their heads. We used a little over eight hundred cedis on this project, because of the quality of paint, this one is not going to fade, even if it does we have a maintenance culture and so we are ready to deepen it.”

Sarah Nana Yeboah

Rev. Father Delasi Parku, parish priest of Holy Family Catholic Church commended them expressing his belief that the new markings would reduce accidents on the roads.

“It’s a very busy road and there has not been any zebra crossing here and we think it’s good to do it such that drivers will be conscious of the fact that children are crossing. We don’t want to wait till something happens before we look for a remedy, and luckily the Sangy Foundation have volunteered and are doing it at their own cost,” he said.

“It’s a very good initiative and I think its necessary we need it where lots of people cross our roads, because some drivers do not care whether there is a human being crossing or not, they drive anyhow.”

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

The post NGO paints zebra crossing for schools to mark Independence Day appeared first on Ghana News.

The leadership of Technical University Teachers Association (TUTAG) will be meeting the National Labour Commission (NLC) later today [Thursday], a move expected to cause the association to end its sit down strike.

The meeting comes on the back of the refusal of TUTAG to call off its strike despite an order by the Commission to do so.

The amendment bill which is currently before Parliament seeks to grant powers to the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) to perform functions which TUTAG argues fall within the purview of the Governing Councils, the Academic Boards and the Principal Officers of Universities in Ghana.

The Ministry of Education is expected to be represented at today’s meeting.

The Technical University’s Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) had called on the President Akufo-Addo and the Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in October 2017, to stop the National Council for Tertiary Education’s (NCTE) illegal directives being imposed on the various technical universities.

TUTAG had indicated that the NCTE is usurping the powers of technical universities against the provisions of Technical Universities Act.

It said the NCTE of abusing the powers that were imposed on it during the period when the various polytechnics were being converted into Technical Universities.

TUTAG said despite the inauguration of the various Councils, the NCTE is still issuing out directives to the technical universities which are, in its view, in a crystal clear contravention of the provisions of the Technical Universities Act.

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By: Marian Ansah & Naa Kwarmah Siaw Marfo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post TUTAG meets NLC over sit down strike appeared first on Ghana News.

An old student of Keta Senior High School (KETASCO) Martin Ankrah, has launched an awards scheme aimed at rewarding and encouraging the school’s best students in Mathematics and Economics.

Mr. Ankrah, a Director at Global Media Alliance launched the awards at the grand durbar to mark the school’s 65^th Anniversary and Founders Day celebration on Saturday, March 3, 2018

Presenting the “Martin Ankrah Awards Scheme” to the school’s Headmaster, Mr. Ankrah said “an awards scheme such as this creates healthy competition among students and results in better academic performance.”

“Having received my share of such prizes in the past, I was encouraged and motivated to always perform better. I made it a point to study extra hard to ensure my name comes up during the school’s speech and prize giving day, and it always did, including winning the Government of Ghana Scholarship for being the best student in my department,” he added.

According to Mr Ankrah, this is “my way of giving back to my alma mater and also to motivate the current students to strive for academic excellence”.

This gesture is also in line with Global Media Alliance’s work culture which encourages management and staff to make a difference in the lives of others by giving back to society in various forms, he added.

Commenting on the establishment of the Martin Ankrah Awards, the Headmaster of the School, Mr. F.C.K. Agbakey, commended Martin for the initiative and called on other alumni to follow suit.

The Headmaster urged his students to emulate Martin as he took his studies very seriously during his time at school. He said he was  not surprised that he (Martin) is launching this Awards Scheme today.

“He was one of my best students and I am excited that he came up with this idea and the school is solidly behind him”.

The Martin Ankrah Awards is expected to reward the best students in Elective Mathematics and Economics in Forms Two and Three every year with cash, books and certificates.

Martin Ankrah is a Director at Global Media Alliance, an integrated marketing communications company based in Accra with assets in Public Relations and Media Consultancy, Broadcasting and Entertainment.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post KETASCO gets award schemes for mathematics and economics students appeared first on Ghana News.

As part of efforts to help players in the educational sector access funding to undertake developments in their schools, afb Ghana has set aside an amount of ten million dollars to support the sector.

According to afb Ghana, the schools will be able to acquire the money through a loan.

The loans are aimed at addressing asset financing, project financing and personal needs of heads of schools.

In an interview with Citi Business News, Managing Director of afb Ghana, Arnold Parker expressed optimism that the money will lead to better economic development in the country.

“This year, we are committed to supporting the education sector with a 10-million-dollar fund to finance school projects, assets acquisition and personal loans for all parties within Ghana’s educational system.”

He also added, “I am confident that this solution will help to improve Ghanaian lives as it ensures access to good quality education which is a key agenda for the government of Ghana”.
About 10 million dollar package

The new product  was launched in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of Private schools (GNAPS), during its education week celebrations in Accra.
The product, designed to address the respective needs of schools, teaching and non-teaching staff and even suppliers who conduct various businesses with the educational institutions, will range from asset financing, project financing to personal loans.
Speaking at the launch, the Director of Education – Pre Tertiary Institutions, Mrs. Catherine Appiah-Penkra said, the education of the citizenry remains a critical agenda of Government.

“One of the deepest concern is the collaboration of the private sector to support this agenda. I will commend afb Ghana for this move and encourage other players within the financial services landscape to join the course to enhance the quality of education in Ghana”.

“It is my hope that with the provision of this support, owners and management of schools and other players within the value chain will take advantage it, as well as meet their obligations in a timely manner to make this solution sustainable,” she added.

Mr. James Abuyeh, Head of Financial Inclusion at afb, also added that “the move to launch this solution has come as a result of the insufficient financial support to players within the education ecosystem”.

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By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post afb launches $10m loan for schools appeared first on Ghana News.

The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), has suspended its nationwide strike.

Leadership of the Association has asked its members to return to the classroom today [Friday].

This comes after a meeting between the Association and the National Labour Commission (NLC) on Thursday.

Members of TUTAG stayed out of the classroom for four days in protest of the amendment of certain sections of the 2016 Act that establishes Technical universities.

The amendment bill which is currently before Parliament seeks to grant powers to the NCTE to perform functions which TUTAG argues fall within the purview of the Governing Councils, the Academic Boards and the Principal Officers of  Technical Universities in Ghana.

Speaking to Citi News the General Secretary of TUTAG, David Worwui Brown, said Association will resume its action if nothing useful comes out of the consultative meetings with stakeholders.

“The Ministry and the National Council of Tertiary Education have consulted with our Association so the grey areas that we have, we will see how best we can streamline them for our mutual benefit. Perhaps we will also be meeting the parliamentary select committee on education. That may be a final meeting as to consider whichever amendments that the Minister would have made to the proposed amendments. Based on that we will suspend our strike and then resume the strike if our consultation does not yield any result.”

TUTAG had called on the President Akufo-Addo and the Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in October 2017, to stop the NCTE’s illegal directives being imposed on the various technical universities.

TUTAG had indicated that the NCTE is usurping the powers of technical universities against the provisions of Technical Universities Act.

It said the NCTE is abusing the powers that were imposed on it during the period when the various polytechnics were being converted into Technical Universities.

TUTAG said despite the inauguration of the various Councils, the NCTE is still issuing directives to the technical universities which are, in its view, in a crystal clear contravention of the provisions of the Technical Universities Act.

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By: Marian Ansah & Naa Kwarmah Siaw Marfo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post TUTAG calls off strike after NLC meeting appeared first on Ghana News.

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), has asked the Ghana 60 Years On committee to provide the list of Senior High Schools which purportedly benefited from the food farms programme initiated by the committee.

This is after the Chairman of the committee, Ken Amankwah, announced that farms were established in about 400 second cycle institutions to boost food production as part of activities marking Ghana’s 60th anniversary in 2017.

“I am surprised to hear that… which schools? When were the farms established? What is the yield per school? Are Accra schools part of it? We have in Ghana about 570 senior high schools. If you have established farms in more than 400, we would want to know which schools and what is the yield per school,” he said.

According to him, there were no farms in the many schools he has visited.

“For the school I teach in and the several schools I visited as a result of my work, I did not see farms in those schools. So I am very surprised by the assertion of the head of the Ghana@60 committee. But It will be interesting  to know the type of crops cultivated and the yield per school.”

The Ghana@60 committee revealed that it was unable to carry out all of its planned programmes due to a lack of funds.

One other notable educational intervention, the provision of 60 libraries in deprived areas across all 10 regions, did not materialize because the company that submitted the proposal for the construction of the libraries, West Blue, was bought by a new company.

“We could not construct the libraries…It was a proposal that was brought by West Blue consortium who were formerly a digital company. The company unfortunately left and its work was taken over by another company, but the company that came in was not interested in the proposal,” Ken Amankwah explained.

Call for auditing of Committee’s accounts 

The Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Brogya Genfi, rubbished the reasons given by the Ghana@60 committee for being unable to execute a majority of its proposed projects.

He does called on the President to direct the Auditor General to audit the accounts of the committee.

Though the committee said it  was able to raise less than half of its target of GHc 20 million, Brogya Genfi believes the committee received enough funds from corporate entities, and says an audit will help unravel other details about the committee’s work.

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By: Anass Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Provide evidence of Ghana@60 SHS farms – Carbonu appeared first on Ghana News.