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Government to introduce new education
bill
Sekondi, Feb. 18, -GNA-Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of
Education, Science and Sports, on Saturday announced that
the Government would introduce a new education bill in
Parliament this year.
He was speaking at the 60th anniversary and Speech and
Prize-Giving Day of Saint Mary's Boys' Secondary School
under the theme: "Saint Mary's Boys' in Perspective-60 Years
of Quality Education" at Apowa near Takoradi.
Papa Ankomah said one of the major focuses of the bill would
be the decentralization of education management at the
district level.
He said Government would deepen community involvement in
educational management in line with efforts to improve upon
team-building and collaborative work.
Papa Ankomah said the essence of this is to get community
members involved in the management of education such as
School Management Committees (SMCs) to become more
accountable to the people.
He said the Government has also planned to introduce a new
policy on the funding of tertiary education this year.
Papa Ankomah hoped, this would resolve the controversy,
which, over the years had characterised the financing of
tertiary education in the country.
He said over the past few years, the Ghana Education Service
(GES) has observed with grave concern and disappointment
increasing cases of indiscipline in some schools.
Papa Ankomah said these acts manifest themselves in drug
abuse, sale of narcotic drugs on campuses, stealing and
destruction of school property, sexual abuse and harassment,
occultism and examination malpractices, among others.
He said also in the present times, students are found to
falsify results and certificates to enable them to gain
admissions into tertiary institutions.
Papa Ankomah said these acts contravene the concept of
quality that the system is supposed to provide noting that,
"Any society whose succeeding generations are affected by
this canker has no future".
He told students that, "This time you have the legitimate
right to be in school, do make use of the time and available
material and human resource to make the best out of
yourselves".
Papa Ankomah said the GETFund has since its inception
provided 1.8 trillion cedis for the rehabilitation or
construction of libraries, dormitories, laboratories,
provision of computers and books for libraries.
He said government would continue to make huge investments
in education at all levels and would continue to rely on the
support of all religious bodies and organisations to meet
its social responsibilities to the people.
Mrs Margaret Lemarie, Headmistress of the school, said the
school lacked adequate accommodation for the growing student
population and the staff.
She called on the Old Students Association to assist to
either expand the school's assembly hall or construct a new
one.
Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, launched the
anniversary magazine.
Among those at the function were Professor Dominic Fobih,
Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Reverend Professor
Addow Obeng, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast
and Most reverend John Martin Darko, Catholic Bishop of
Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese.
GNA
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