Category: Literacy

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, says a total of 60,481 new students have enrolled in various Government TVET institutions for the 2023/2024 academic calendar compared to less than 20,000 students enrolled annually prior to 2017.

With this new enrolment, the total number of enrolments in Government TVET institutions, which provide free TVET, stands at 157,681.

This follows the realignment of TVET institutions to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and consolidation of the Free TVET for ALL, coupled with the implementation of the MyTVET campaign to change perceptions about TVET in the country.

Dr Adutwum whose speech was read by Prof. Mark Adom Asamoah, Advisor on STEM at the Ministry of Education, made the disclosure at the maiden TVET Symposium and the launch of the Second Edition of the Ghana TVET Report in Accra.

The conference, which was on the theme: ‘Advancing TVET and skills development towards sustainable and decent job creation’, was attended by officials from TVET institutions, and studen
ts.

Dr Adutwum also said to fully harness the potential offered by TVET, the government had initiated a number of policies as part of the TVET transformation agenda, and in the process of developing new Competency Based Training (CBT) curriculum amidst massive investments in TVET infrastructure, and TVET teacher training, among others.

Dr Adutwum also revealed that the Government of Ghana in collaboration with development partners had established a competitive fund, called the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF).

He said the GSDF was embedded in the Government’s TVET policy to ‘improve the productivity and competitiveness of the skilled workforce and raise the income-earning capacities of people, especially women, low-income groups, and People with Disabilities (PWDs) through the provision of quality-oriented, industry-focused, and competency-based training programmes and complementary services’.

He said at least 42,000 individuals were expected to be employed in the private enterprises for six months af
ter the implementation of the grant, resulting in increased income and better welfare of Ghanaians.

He said just last year, over 200 million Ghana cedis was disbursed to more enterprises as part of the implementation of the GSDF.

‘I would like to encourage all gathered here to take advantage of this opportunity that has been provided by the government’ he said.

Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, Director General, Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) in his remark, stated that as part of the Commission’s mandate as stipulated in Act 1023, they were expected to develop and publish annual reports on the state of TVET in Ghana.

He said the Commission had since 2022 been developing those reports meant to collect data on a set of indicators to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the TVET sector.

He said the TVET Reporting provided a spine for the development of programmes and Policy formulation and also contributed to building a robust TVET system for Ghana’s development.

Source:
Ghana News Agency

Chief of Azulenloanu, Nana Addo-Nreda VI, has appealed to the Ghana National Gas Company to refurbish the dilapidated classroom block in the Azulenloanu community to allow children of school going age to be enrolled in the school.

He expressed wary that the current situation of the classroom block had forced many parents of the community to withdraw their children to other schools in neighbouring communities.

Nana Addo-Nreda VI made the appeal when he paid a visit to the Ghana Gas Office Complex at A.B. Bokazo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

The visit afforded him the opportunity to discuss developmental problems worrying the Azulenloanu community within the oil and gas enclave and solicit the Company’s assistance for redress.

The Traditional Ruler expressed deep concern about the near collapse of the Pre-School building which had forced Nursery school children to stop going to school.

Nana Addo-Nreda VI said the rooftop of the building leaked during the rainy seasons thereby disrupting
teaching and learning activities.

The situation has compelled school children to sit down in the dust and learn as the floor as well as the entire block had not been plastered.

The Chief said lack of teachers’ bungalow forced newly posted teachers to the town to run away.

Nana Addo-Nreda VI implored Ghana Gas Company to factor the school into their corporate strategic plan and come to the aid of the school.

He said education was the future of the current generation and the community could not afford to sit down aloof for the total collapse of the school.

For his part, Senior Manager in charge of Community Relations at the Ghana National Gas Company, Mr Stephen Donkor expressed concern about the plight of the school and the community.

He said Ghana Gas Company had made significant investments in education as the bedrock of national development.

Mr Donkor assured the Chief that the concerns of the community would be tabled before the Chief Executive Officer of the Company for consideration.

Source: Gha
na News Agency

Mr Kwamina Asomaning, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, has advised that the country’s academic curriculum be designed to meet the needs of industry players.

Mr Asomaning underscored the importance of ensuring that the curriculum was in line with the needs of industry players to ensure that students were equipped to make positive contributions in the professional space.

The Chief Executive made the call at the launch of Academics, Business and Administration Forum (ABAF) in Accra.

‘At Stanbic Bank, we currently collaborate with some American universities to address industry needs.

‘They send their students to us to elicit key challenges that need solutions. These are then factored into the training that the schools offer their students.

‘The projects address specific business or management issues with the students assigned to projects based on their interests, qualifications, and experience,’ he said.

He said ‘while the students gained invaluable practical international experience, we received high
-quality professional consulting services under faculty supervision. Is it possible for academia in Ghana to adopt such an initiative?’

Mr Asomaning commended the organisers for the initiative and encouraged them in their efforts to raise future-ready students.

‘I want to emphasise the importance of involving students and youth in our discussions. They are the innovators of our country, and their voices and perspectives are invaluable. Let’s create opportunities for them to learn, grow, and contribute to our collective effort.’

Stanbic Bank over the years has shown support to academia through various initiatives.

Last year, the Bank donated 50 laptops to the University of Ghana in support of the Vice Chancellor’s ‘One Student One Laptop’ initiative.

The Bank collaborated with the ‘Women in STEM Ghana’ to train, equip and inspire 200 girls from 23 senior high schools to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Many other educational institutions ha
ve benefited from the Bank’s STEM-focused interventions, including KNUST, Takoradi

Technical University, Sunyani School of Professional Studies, and the Blessed Holy Child Academy.

ABAF is a platform dedicated to the promotion of synergies between academia and industry for effective development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr William Kwaku Chamamim, the Assemblyman for Nkwanta West electoral area in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region has urged candidates preparing for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to take their lessons seriously as the time approaches.

Mr Chamamin, who is also the head teacher of Nkwanta M/A Basic School in view of the recent conflict in the Nkwanta South Municipality, to catch up on the lost time.

He has pledged to ensure that the education of the final year Junior High School pupils was not disrupted further.

He, however, has organised vacation classes for the candidates within Nkwanta township to help them catch up with the academic syllabus, which was interrupted by the ethnic conflict in the area.

The classes held at Nkwanta M/A JHS ‘A’ school premises are free and open to all BECE candidates in the area.

Mr Chamamin said the volunteer teachers and educationists have availed themselves to provide extra support and guidance to the pupils.

He continued that the init
iative has been well-received by both parents and the students as well, because the turnout was encouraging even despite the security challenges they are facing in the area.

The Assemblyman cum Headteacher remains committed to supporting the education of the students in the area and ensuring that they have the necessary resources needed to excel in their final exams.

He, however, urged parents to provide their wards with the necessary learning materials during the period to ensure candidates adequately prepared for their final exams.

‘I hope that these holiday classes will not only help the students perform well in the upcoming examination but also instill in them the love for learning and determination to succeed.

Some of the students expressed their profound gratitude to the Assemblyman for providing them with opportunity to enhance their learning skills.

They finally promised to make good use of the classes in their final exams.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The government has agreed to pay the outstanding lump sum of teachers who retired from January 2020 to December 31, 2020.

It has also promised to remit all union dues deductions from January 2024 to March 2024 into the accounts of the unions by April 27, 2024.

Mr Thomas Musah, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra after a takeholder meeting on issues affecting their welfare.

The stakeholders include the Ministry of Finance, the Controller and Accountant General, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

Mr Musah said the retired teachers, about 5,000, from January 2020 to December 2020 were shortchanged regarding the lump sum.

He said based on the calculations; the government was expected to pay approximately GHC 56 million to settle the outstanding arrears.

Mr Musah said the meeting set up a five-member technical committee to conduct feasibilit
y studies on the data of teachers relating to tier two pension contributions, past credit issues, and the implementation of the GLICO report, among others.

He said the committee was expected to submit the report before May 1, 2024, to resolve the issues concerning their conditions of service.

Three pre-tertiary teacher unions called off their two-week nationwide strike over poor conditions of service on March 20, 2024.

The decision to end the strike was after the National Labour Commission obtained an interim injunction to halt the industrial action, thereby facilitating the commencement of negotiations.

The unions are the GNAT, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Fred McBagonluri, the President of the Academic City University College, has called on stakeholders to harness the power of data science and analytics to unlock new frontiers of innovation and drive sustainable growth.

He said, ‘as we stand on the threshold of a new era of possibilities, let us embrace the opportunities that lie ahead with optimism and determination.’

Prof McBagonluri was speaking at the launch of a Graduate Programme in Data Science and Analytics by the Academic City University College in Accra.

The two-year MSC Programme is set to train students to apply data science techniques for problem-solving and decision-making in real-world scenarios.

The programme would also build the students’ expertise in analytic tools, independent problem-solving, and cross-industry applications.

He said the launch of the Programme signified the University’s commitment to embracing the future with open arms and it was a testament of their belief in the power of data to drive meaningful change and
create lasting impact.

‘With this endeavour, we aim to not only stay ahead of the curve but to redefine the very landscape of our industry,’ he added.

The President said as they embarked on this journey, ‘we must remain vigilant in upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity and we must ensure that the data we analyze is used responsibly and ethically, respecting the privacy and rights of individual s at all times.’

Prof McBagonluri said data science was not merely a buzzword, but it was a discipline that empowered them to extract meaningful patterns and trends from vast volumes of data and it would equip them with the tools and techniques to delve deep into the intricacies of information, and uncovering hidden gems that could drive innovation and growth.

He said in this era of rapid technological advancement, data had become the lifeblood of businesses and organisations across the globe, and it held the power to unlock invaluable insights, drive informed decision-making and fuel transformativ
e change.

‘Recognising this we have embarked on a mission to harness the full potential of data through the lens of data science and analytics,’ he added.

Mr David Gowu, the Executive Director of the Institute of ICT Professionals, said data science and analytics were a Catalyst for capacity building and beyond national development.

He urged stakeholders to explore how this programme would significantly contribute to building the capacity of ICT professionals in Ghana and across Africa.

He said the Programme would equip ICT professionals with cutting-edge skills and by mastering data science techniques, they would become good at extracting insights from complex data sets.

He said these professionals would drive innovation, enhance decision-making, and contribute to the digital transformation of public and private organizations.

Mr Gowu said the Programme would help close the skills gap, where Africa faced a significant skills gap in data science and analytics.

‘By offering this programme, we bridge tha
t gap, and graduates will possess the expertise needed to tackle real-world challenges, from optimizing supply chains to predicting disease outbreaks,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency