Category: Education

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area, has expressed gratitude to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) for the conferment of a doctorate degree on him last Thursday in Cape Coast.

‘I thank the management of UCC for appreciating and recognizing my efforts and contributions to the University and humanity,’ he stated.

He expressed his appreciation at a short press conference at Emintsimadze Palace where he indicated that the award had encouraged him to do more for his people and the country at large.

The acknowledgment came after the University recognised him for his remarkable contributions to the development of society.

He was also honoured, particularly for his visionary leadership and distinguished service to the nation, the University, the global community and humanity in general.

He assured the University of his continued commitment to help resolve the challenges between the UCC and its neighbouring communities for conducive atmosphere for learning and teaching and social cohesion.

The Oguaamanhen expressed concern over the inability of many of its indigenes to access higher education and appealed to the University to adopt some basic schools in Cape Coast to help improve education in the area.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta indicated that progress had been made in bringing on board professors and academia to help train the younger ones in the area, but much needed to be done to groom the younger generation.

‘It is very sad to see BECE results of some children in Cape Coast, this sends signals that education at the lower level is bad and need help,’ he added.

He added that Cape Coast had the best schools in the country and the young ones must take advantage for their self-advancement to be able to contribute their quota to the social and economic development of the country.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta called on academia in and abroad to come on board to support the course to see the Cape Coast they all envisaged for the generation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Peace Council (NPC) has organized a validation workshop on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guide Mission Schools on religious tolerance.

The MoU aims to provide guidelines for Government Assisted Mission Schools/Private Schools to enable a safe learning environment, promotion of national peace and preventing discrimination on religious grounds to enhance greater social cohesion.

Participants at the workshop included representatives of the Conference of Managers of Education Units (COMEU), the Trustees of the Conference of Managers of Mission Education Units, the Ghana Education Service (GES), Directors of Mission Education Units, Heads of Schools and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

Mrs Joana Adzoa Opare, Member, NPC Governing Board and Chairperson of Complaints and Conflict Committee, in a statement read on her behalf by Mrs Magdalene Kannae, a member of the Governing Board of the NPC, said one thing that the Council had taken from the long period of
engagement with stakeholders on religious tolerance in schools was that, no pupil or student should be hindered by religion in their quest for academic laurels.

This, Mrs Opare said had been the primary principle upon which the process had thrived.

‘Collectively, we shall be making history and bring finality to a document that we have diligently put together, which will serve as a guide for your various Education Units and Schools and support management of students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their desires in the field of Education,’ she said.

She reiterated that the timing in any project or policy was critical to the means and the end.

‘This validation coming just few days after the Ramadan and Easter and few days to the traditional ban on drumming in Accra should give us a sense of diversity that rather unite us than divides us,’ she said.

‘Let us collectively uphold the principle and practice of togetherness, responsiveness to each other’s views, respect for the rights of others, and toleratio
n and tolerance of religious diversity in all institutions of learning.’

She said the Council had the conviction that the MoU would serve Ghanaians positively and bring sanity to every education Institutions that the document was developed for.

‘May we all be doers and not just listeners in the face of religious tolerance in our schools.’

Constitutionally, Ghana is a circular state, and all citizens have the freedom to practice and profess any religion of their choices, with their religious liberty protected.

Article 25 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana indicates that, all persons had the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with the view to achieving full realisation of that right.

According to the draft MoU the Mission Schools must emphasize a culture of tolerance, inclusivity and cooperation while maintaining the missions and visions of their parent religious bodies.

Regarding fasting in schools, it indicated that students should be allowed to fast; however, parents/guardians f
rom school authorities must seek permission and requisite counseling given to students before fasting begins.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the end of the validation workshop, Mrs Opare said following reports of a Muslim student at the Wesley Girls’ High School, Cape Coast, who was allegedly prevented from fasting during Ramadan in 2021, which was being observed by Muslims, the Peace Council in an efforts to help address the issue met with all the stakeholders involved to see what actually happened and how they could intervene to ensure that there was peace in the country’s educational institutions.

She said the Council met with all the stakeholders involved, which included the Ministry of Education, the Muslims Caucus in Parliament, the Wesley Girls Management, the Christian Council of Ghana, Methodist Church, Ghana, the girls, and parents to ascertain what happened.

‘In the process, we find out that there has been a drafted MoU that has never been assented to, when it comes to the legal issues. So
, we revisited this, and we called the stakeholders around the table and agreed that we needed to finalize this.’

Mrs Opare noted that the MoU would serve as a document that people could speak to when it comes to the issue of religious tolerance in the nation’s schools.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Children Believe, a child-focus Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has commissioned a fully furnished Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre at Abulu, a community in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The facility, intended to benefit children between four to five years, comprised teachers’ office, classrooms and lavatories and equipped with furniture, stationeries and a playground fitted with various types of play equipment.

The ECD centre was funded by Children Believe at an estimated cost of GHS650,000.00 and implemented by the Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), an NGO.

The centre is the sixth funded project by Child Believe in the Region and the 27th facility constructed in three years in all its operational areas.

Mrs Esenam Kavi De Souza, the Country Director, Children Believe, who commissioned the centre, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that it was intended to provide early learning opportunities for the children.

‘We reco
gnize that children need a conducive environment to learn, and early childhood education is one of the areas where government investment has been inadequate. That is why Children Believe, together with its partner, PARDA, decided to provide this Kindergarten (KG) facility,’ she said.

The facility would bridge the gap in early childhood education in the Abulu Community and its environs, Mrs De Souza said.

‘In all of the areas where we have provided these facilities, we have seen great improvement in the quality of education of children in Kindergarten. We have seen enrollment numbers doubling as the facilities are provided,’ she said.

Mrs De Souza called on the government to invest more in early childhood education, insisting that ‘until we get the foundation of our education right, every other investment we make as a nation will not yield the desired results, therefore, it is important that we start right.’

Dr Michael Wombeogo, the Executive Director of PARDA, said the motivation to undertake development
projects in the Kassena-Nankana West and Builsa North Municipal was based on the needs of the community members.

He recalled that apart from the newly furnished ECD centre, PARDA, with support from Child Believe, had constructed Child Welfare Centres, boreholes, furniture for basic schools and organized refresher training programmes for healthcare professionals and teachers in the two operational areas over the years.

‘We are continuing, as we get more funds, we will be able to support the needs of the people. We are supporting what the people want, that is the highest motivation and achievement for PARDA so far within the operational areas,’ he said.

Pastor Ebenezer Ayiwuuri, the Head teacher of the Abulu Primary School, said the newly constructed KG facility would be of great relief to the school as the pupils were accommodated in a mud structure constructed by the Parents Association.

He described the mud structure as a ‘death trap that could fall off at anytime.’

‘This forced us the teachers to put b
oth KG one and two in one classroom instead of the death trap in order to avoid any eventuality.’

Pastor Ayiwuuri said management of the school appealed to Children Believe through PARDA for the ECD centre, which stood as a testament to the power of collaboration, and the unwavering commitment to education.

‘We are deeply thankful to Children Believe for its dedication to our community and belief in the transformative power of education,’ he said.

This KG block represents more than just bricks and mortar; it symbolizes hope, opportunity and a brighter future for the young minds who will walk through its doors.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Aaron Kuwornu, the Northern Regional Director, Ghana Library Authority, has advised students to invest more time in reading resourceful materials to help build their leadership skills for national development.

He said reading was a crucial component of the overall development of students, which exposed them to knowledge acquisition and the ability to discover innovations and skills needed to improve the livelihoods of communities.

Mr Kuwornu said this whilst addressing students in Tamale during a debate organised for Junior High Schools in the Northern Region.

The event, dubbed: ‘Junior Debate Competition Championship 2024’, was organised by Glory Development Organization, an NGO, in partnership with the Northern Regional Office of the Ghana Library Authority.

Three schools: Sagnarigu Girls Model Junior High school, Glory Educational Complex, and Albarakat International School, were the competitors.

After the fiercely contested debate on child labour and its impact on children’s educational developmen
t, Albarakat International School was crowned winners.

Mr Kuwornu emphasised the need for parents and guardians to support their children to cultivate the culture of reading to develop their hidden potential.

‘Parents and guardians must learn to monitor the kind of information their children are consuming to ensure they don’t read materials that are detrimental to their holistic growth and development,’ he said.

Reverend Ebenezer Agyemang-Duah, Executive Director, Glory Development Organization, said the debate was to encourage students to research, learn and develop the skills to communicate effectively on issues affecting their development.

He emphasised the importance of motivating students to read, saying it afforded them the opportunity to be smarter and analytical in approaching the challenges confronting their communities.

‘If the children are the leaders of tomorrow, then we must invest in building their communication skills and competence in order to guarantee that future,’ he said.

Master Abdu
l-Mumeen Abdul-Waris, a student of Albarakat International, who participated in the competition, said it had boosted his confidence and ability to speak in public.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Kofi Asare, Executive Director, Africa Education Watch, has asked the youth to be citizen activists to contribute to the rapid socio-economic development of the country.

He asked them to speak up on issues affecting their development, careers, and promote accountable governance at all levels. 

He was speaking at a conference dubbed: ‘The National Conversation On Youth Democracy,’ in Accra. 

It was on the theme: ‘Rise Up and Speak Out: Building A Stronger Ghanaian Democracy Together.’ 

Mr Asare said the citizenry ought to know that democracy was a symbiotic system, therefore, governments had their responsibilities likewise the populace.

When the youth demand accountability, it sychronises with the power they have given to the government to be able to provide them with their needs to thrive in society. 

He advised the youth to participate in democracy but in a responsible way and not to use chaotic demonstrations and incite violence on social media platforms to create national problems. 

He said the y
outh must be abreast of the constitution to ensure responsible, honest and patriotic youthful conduct. 

He urged the youth to learn to speak up and not to expect any financial inducements from any government or policymakers in power. 

Mrs Sena Siaw-Boateng, Chief Director, Ministry of National Security said youth activism drove development which allowed young people to participate and demand accountability from government. 

She said youth all over the country must know who and where to channel their grievances to ensure effective governance for economic growth. 

She advised young people to actively engage in democratic dialogue’s rather than chaotic political demonstrations which would lead to violence, saying that ‘violence would rather slow down developmental progress.’ 

Speaking on what the youth post on social media, she said the youth must check facts before posting on social media platforms, since such posts could spark national chaos.  

Dr Stella Agyeman Duah, Research Scientist, Ghana Atomic Ene
rgy Commision, also called on government to provide policies and incentives like land, training, and grants to help push the youth and students into agriculture or agri-businesses.  

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) is repositioning itself to become globally preferred centre for technical vocational training education and a relevant contributor to the socioeconomic growth of Ghana and beyond.

To this end, the University has introduced 17 more programmes at various levels including five Master of Science (MSc) programmes in Agriculture, its niche area, to empower students to find practical solutions to challenges of society, Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, Vice Chancellor of the University, has said.

The programmes are MSc Crop Science, MSc Animal Science, MSc Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, MSc Postharvest Engineering, MSc Agriculture Farm Power and Machinery Engineering and MSc Procurement and Logistics Management.

The others are Bachelor of Science (BSc) Medical Laboratory Science, BTech Data Communication and Networking, BSc Applied Statistics and Computing, BSc Electrical and Electronics Engineering and HND Welding and Fabrication.

The rest are BSc Food Processing Te
chnology, BTech Mechanical Engineering, BSc Tourism Management, BSc Computerised Accounting, BSc Marketing and Communication Studies and BSc Management Studies.

The Vice Chancellor made this known at the 12th congregation of the University held at Sumbrungu, the University’s main campus, where 628 graduands, comprising 328 males and 300 females, were awarded various honours.

The Vice Chancellor noted that the University was considering extending Competency based training at all levels which had sponsorship from the GIZ and World Bank and urged the public to take advantage of the varied programmes to develop their competencies for job creation and poverty reduction.

‘We are rekindling our collaboration with the University of Ouagadougou. The collaboration was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will see the exchange of staff and students from both universities.

‘We are also collaborating with Kosmos Innovation Centre, the Corporate Social Responsibility wing of Kosmos Energy, for training of young gra
duates in agribusiness. This programme is aimed at creating, training and empowering ‘Agripreneurs’ to innovate value addition in the agriculture value chain and create jobs. The programme is expected to run for three years and it is worth US$100,000.00 annually,’ he said.

Professor Alnaa appealed to the government to grant financial clearance for the University to recruit lecturers, adding ‘there is no commensurate increase in the teaching staff to train the students who get enrolled on the wide range of programmes.

‘We have to contend with the existing staff and part-time lecturers, who currently are overloaded with so many courses, to teach and this is very strenuous and negatively affecting the instructional delivery as well as assessment of students.’

The Vice Chancellor noted that the University was further confronted with infrastructure deficit and while management was doing everything possible to improvise decent places for students to have lectures, it behoves government to fast-track the request
of the University for Lecture Halls which had been on the drawing board since 2017.

Professor Francis Abantanga, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, said despite the challenges, the University since its humble beginning in 1999, had grown in the technology-based programmes which were impacting positively on the growth of the country and beyond.

Professor Abantanga advised the staff to undertake researches that aimed at mobilizing revenue for the University and the country as a whole, adding ‘research is key in the development of all economies and also plays key role in your progress as staff.’

Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Outgoing Upper East Regional Minister, said despite the many challenges, the University had contributed significantly to the growth of the economy by producing solution-oriented students and urged all stakeholders to play key roles in consolidating the gains of the University.

Source: Ghana News Agency