Unposted gov’t sponsored trained pupil teachers petition MoE
A group of unposted teachers calling itself Coalition of Unposted Trained and Registered Teachers (CUTART) has petitioned the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service following the delay in posting them. In their open petition to the Ministry copied to the sector minister Yaw Osei Adutwum and Director General of GES, the group said, they are the beneficiaries of the untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education-UTDBE program which was under the supervision of the National Teaching Council and the University of Cape Coast. However, they are yet to be posted many years after successfully completing the program. In 2005, the Ghana Education Service implemented a four-year distance education programme known as the Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE) to train pupil teachers across the country in batches as a measure to face out untrained teachers and replace with Professional teachers to help improve quality education at Basic school level. This was because, at the mid-point of the millennium agenda (2000-2015), 40 per cent of Primary school teachers and 24 per cent of Junior High School teachers were untrained in Ghana. The program continued from 2012 to 2016 which government-sponsored the course in partnership with JICA for the backlog of pupil Teachers to upgrade themselves in diploma in Basic education to serve in the rural area of the country. But after years of completion of the program, only 110 beneficiaries were posted in 2018 leaving 800 unposted. According to the President of the Coalition Afelete Avulah, “the said teachers so issued with Professional Teachers Registered numbers since 2016 only got 110 of their entire membership recruited in 2018 but over 800 members still home. The UTDBE programme which was partly a Government-sponsored course with the support of Jica had two categories of trained teachers. Those who were pupil Teachers before admission into the course and the other, those who were voluntary Teachers as well as Youth Employed” President of the Coalition Mr Afelete Avulah, the group acknowledged the efforts of the Director-General and his Deputy Anthony Boateng for posting part of their members in 2018 but appealed for the posting of the rest of the group members. “it has really been difficult for members to survive. Passed their licensure exams with National Teaching Council, Teachers Registered numbers and completed National Service. Among other details mentioned in the petition to the Minister and GES, it is the cry of these Teachers to be posted. We are willing to serve in any part of the country where their services are needed most,” They said. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Ministry of Education make U-turn on Trimester System order
The statement says, following the directive to commence the semester system, the Ministry has received representation from a section of public and key educational stakeholders to re-instate the Trimester system. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Engage Universities to assist teachers pursuing sandwich courses- Prof George K. T Oduro
A Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. George K.T. Oduro has called for the adjustment and realigning the calendar of the trimester system to address the challenge of teachers pursuing sandwich programmes at the Universities as against adopting a semester system at the basic school level to address the challenge. He noted that an engagement between the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, relevant teacher unions and the Universities could realign the calendar within the context of the existing trimester system. Prof Oduro made the comment at the back of the introduction of a semester-based academic calendar for public Kindergarten, Primary, and Junior High Schools announced by the GES last week. Among other things, GES said, the new system will ease pressure on teachers, decongest the various schools, and help align academic calendars. However, Prof Oduro called for planning and engaging describing the policy as rushed arguing that there is a lack of support system and will result in learning fatigue. He spoke to Correspondent Prosper Adankai in Bolgatanga, Upper East Regional Capital. A summary of the forthcoming Ghana educational reforms, as outlined by the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and the National Council for Curriculum Assessment, has revealed that the West African Senior School Certificate Exams (WASSCE), will be replaced with a university entrance exam – with SHS3 final-year students graduating with a diploma credential instead of WASSCE certificate. A sneak-peek at the reform document available to the B&FT showed it proposes that students in SHS 1 will continue to run a common core programme for one year without elective subjects, such as Science, Business, or any Arts programme, until they are in SHS 2. “Graduating to SHS 2 from SHS 1 will however be done through another Common Core Entrance Exam,” the document anticipated. At SHS2, students will have to select either a career-related programme that includes vocational and technical programmes, or high school diploma elective programmes such as science, business and the arts. The document equally said kindergarten, primary, Junior High School and Senior High Schools will all be described as basic schools, with JHS 1,2,3 and SHS1 being referred to as BS 7, 8, 9 and 10 respectively – meaning SHS1 will now be called BS10. Assessment-wise, the document is proposing that all students in JHS1-SHS1 should run a Common Core Programme called CCP which comprises nine subjects: namely Math, Languages, Science, RME, Physical and Health (not examinable) Career Technology, Social Studies, Computing and Creative Art/Design. A new examination called the National Standard Assessment Test (NSAT) will be conducted at Primary 2, 4, 6, and JHS 2, with the Basic Education Certificate Exams (BECE) being replaced by placement exams at JHS3 to enroll pupils into SHS1. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Prosper Adankai/Contributor Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
President John Mahama has a much better record in public expenditure on education– Okudzeto Ablakwa
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said President Nana Akufo-Addo’s claim that his government’s commitment to education has been so great that public expenditure on education has almost doubled from GHS20.7 billion between 2013 and 2016 to GHS40.4 billion between 2017 and 2020 is “terribly wrong” and “pathetically misleading”. The North Tongu legislator posted his position on his Facebook wall on Thursday December 13, 2022. PRESIDENT JOHN MAHAMA HAS A MUCH BETTER RECORD IN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION On Tuesday, 4th January 2022, President Akufo-Addo delivered a speech at the 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi. President Akufo-Addo claimed that his government’s commitment to education “has been so great that public expenditure on education has almost doubled from GH¢20.7 billion between 2013 and 2016 to GH¢40.4 billion between 2017 and 2020 .” The President added: this percentage, which represents a 95% increase, took place between the “Mahama era and the Akufo-Addo era.” I submit emphatically that President Akufo-Addo’s claims are terribly wrongly and pathetically misleading. As the unimpeachable data below confirms, the President’s numbers and percentages are gravely inaccurate. It is imperative to point out that my data sources are: Ghana’s Budget Statement and Economic Policy documents, Ministry of Finance Project-Based Budgeting publications and the World Bank. May I add that this analysis focuses on actual expenditure and not projected allocations. President Akufo-Addo must be informed that the globally accepted benchmark in evaluating the real commitment of any government with respect to public expenditure on education is to assess the share of GDP spent on education. UNESCO and “The Education 2030 Framework for Action” insist on the ‘crucial reference point’ of countries allocating at least 4% to 6% of GDP to education. It is deeply frightening to acknowledge that under the watch of President Akufo-Addo, Ghana has not only missed this global benchmark in four out of five years, we are also alarmingly witnessing a steady decline. When placed in the share of GDP context, the lowest levels of public spending on education over the last 20 years have been recorded during President Akufo-Addo’s tenure. As we say, figures don’t lie — President Mahama posted 4.6% in 2013, 4.7% in 2014, 4.6% in 2015 and 4.5% in 2016. Compare this to President Akufo-Addo’s 3.6% in 2017, 4.0% in 2018, 3.5% in 2019, 3.3% in 2020 and an abysmal 3.0% in 2021. Clearly, President Akufo-Addo’s best performance of 4.0% in 2018 is worse than President Mahama’s lowest performance of 4.5% in 2016. As the data reveals and as UNESCO records confirm, President Mahama has never fallen short of the global benchmark of a minimum of 4% share of total GDP throughout his tenure as President unlike President Akufo-Addo. Indeed, Ghana’s all-time best performance occurred in 2011 with an impressive 8.14% when the NDC’s President Mills and Vice President Mahama were at the helm of affairs. So, it is really a matter of: to whom much is given, much is required, and not throwing unreliable, meaningless numbers in the faces of people. Respectfully, President Akufo-Addo embarrasses our country within the comity of nations when he engages in such dishonest obfuscation, in the face of widely accepted global standards. Kindly refer to the tables and graph below for further illumination. Author: Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa [MP for North Tongu, Former Deputy Minister for Education] Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
The amount of money we are receiving in terms of Market Premium has reduced drastically–UTAG
The University Teachers Association – Ghana (UTAG) has said their employer has maintained its position on meeting their demands. Speaking to GHOneTV monitored by Apexnewsgh.com, President of University Teachers Association – Ghana (UTAG), Prof Solomon Nunoo revealed that Market Premium is to be implemented and reviewed every five years. “It means that since Single Spine started in 2009 there should have been a review of the Market Premium in 2014 and another in 2019 and all of these review periods have not taken place,” he added. “So basically, it has to do with our Market Premium which unfortunately for us in 2013 there was a freeze on the Market Premium which use to be 114% of the basic salary. So presently what is happening is that we are having a Market Premium which is 50% because of the freeze on our basic salary,” he said. “So you will notice that the amount of money we are receiving in terms of Market Premium has reduced drastically. We are unable to meet a lot of the needs that we want to actually work on. That is the main reason why we issued the communique for us to embark on the strike action because it seems time and again our employer is just buying time and not ready to implement what will inure to the benefit of our members.” “What I expect my employer to do is to make sure we get the 114% of the basic salary as our Market Premium and we urge the employer to get that done. They can take all the time they have so that they can use that time to put in all the necessary measures to get things done well,” he added. UTAG embarked on a nationwide strike from Monday, January 10 2022 until further notice. In a statement dated January 8, 2022, the Association cataloged a number of reasons they want to lay down their tools. According to the Association, the members have decried the pittance agreed to be paid as an annual research allowance and would want to have the government reconsider the payment of a more realistic research allowance. They also disclosed the worsening Conditions of Service (CoS) of the University Teacher and the failure of the Employer in addressing the plight of UTAG members within the agreed timelines among others. Meanwhile, the Association is scheduled to meet the Employer by the 15th of January 2022 on the negotiations.
NSMQ candidate received support from Sung Bi’ela Foundation & others in Bawku.
Sung Bie’la Foundation with support from Surveyor Lawyer Timothy Anyidoho and Dr. James K. A Boachie has reached out to brilliant but needy National Science and Mathematics Quiz students in Bawku to meet the deadline in paying his admission fees of two thousand Ghana Cedis. ABDUL-MOON IS-HAQ is a graduate of Bawku senior high technical school and native of Bawku who reached out to the Foundation over the payment of his admission fees to continue his education at the University of Mines and Technology, UMaT at Tarkwa. Coming from a very humble background with his father not well to do and mother who is no more, his former headmaster at the Junior High School due to his performance assisted him throughout Senior High School level. Given the donation, the Founder of Sung Biela Foundation, Hajia Zenabu Awimbe Salifu noted that education is key to life. “It benefits each of us individually but it also has a positive impact on those around us. Through higher education, one can obtain knowledge, skills and qualifications that can give one a better job and better life. We also want to take this opportunity to appeal to all individuals and stakeholders to come to our aid in helping those brilliant but needy students actualize their dreams”. She noted. However, after receiving the donation Abdul-Moon-Ishaque thanked the foundation and all those who contributed for their timely intervention as he never dreamt of meeting the deadline. He further assured the foundation by promising to defy all odds to give off his best to reach greater heights in order to give back to society. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Prosper Adankai Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Remain at post and do core mandate – Upper East Region TEWU Officer to Security personnel under GES
The Upper East Regional Industrial Relation Officer of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union, TEWU, Matthew Abeaba Aberiniya has revealed that the Regional branch of the union has asked its members who are security personnel working under the Ghana Education Service GES to remain at post despite the industrial action declared on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. According to Mr. Aberiniya, the decision was to protect public property against theft and burglary. He believes the absence of its members from post exposes such properties to loss or damages to which members are liable. Speaking on the midweek edition of the Sunrise Morning show on GBC URA Radio in Bolgatanga monitored by Apexnewsgh.com, the Upper East Regional capital, Mr. Abeaba Abereniya further revealed that the security personnel is to perform their core mandate. “If you are a security man and you know how to drive, perform your core mandate. If you are a security man and you know how to use a computer, perform your core mandate, don’t do secretarial duties,” he stressed. He assured parents and the general population of the commitment of its members to work but was quick to add that they cannot work on an empty stomach. Mr. Abeaba Abereniya indicated that TEWU will consider calling off the strike action, only when the government engages them to discuss modalities to defray the two years arrears of the Professional Development Allowance owe its members. The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) announced its decision to embark on a strike from Wednesday, January 5, 2022, to demand arrears in their professional development allowances. At a news conference in Accra, the General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Denkyira Korankye, said “all our members, both in the schools, district, and regional offices are going to withdraw our services until an amicable settlement of this matter is reached”. He explained that it was resolved, among others that by the close of the year 2021, if the professional development allowances had not been paid to the non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service, then as schools reopen for the last phase of the second semester, their members would withdraw their services to push home our demand of the payment of this professional development allowances. TEWU members include bursars, cooks, cleaners, administrators, accountants, auditors, among others. Addressing the media, the General Secretary of the union, Mark Dankyira Korankye, said the strike will only be called off if their demands are met. The group’s last strike threat was in May 2021. That threat was in protest of poor conditions of service. The union’s last strike was on January 13, 2021, but the union’s national leadership called off the strike on January 18. At the time, TEWU said suspending the industrial action was going to allow for negotiations with the government to be conducted in good faith. However, TEWU has been in talks with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission since June 2019 on the review of the conditions of service for unionized staff of public universities. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Prosper Adankai Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Teachers to enjoy 10,000 affordable housing unit in Akufo-Addo’s administration
President Akufo-Addo has re-affirmed that his administration is building 10,000 affordable housing units for teachers. According to President Akufo-Addo, “government recognizes that all modern successful nations that have experienced extraordinary results in the transformation of human capital and economic development have shown that teacher quality is, perhaps, the single most important determinant of their success”. He made the pronouncement at the 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference and the 90th-anniversary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) held in Kumasi, Ashanti Region on Tuesday, 4 January 2022 on the theme: ‘Surviving as a reliable and vibrant teacher union in the 21st century. He said: “For us in Ghana also to make a success of our nation, we must pay attention to teachers”. “It is only a group of well-trained and motivated teachers that can help deliver the educated and skilled workforce we require to transform our economy and nation”, the President acknowledged. “Many years ago, our society respected and honored our teachers”, saying: “To be introduced anywhere was a teacher came with enormous prestige”. “Sixty years ago, being a teacher, even a pupil-teacher, was a respectable and fulfilling job and a teacher could build a decent house through his or her salary alone”, he stated. Sadly he observed, “we cannot imagine such a scenario for today’s newly qualified teachers or even teachers who are near retirement”. “This is not good enough and that is why my government remains committed to improving the circumstances of our teachers”, he noted. “We believe that teaching should not be seen as a stopgap measure or a job of last resort but as a viable choice to enter a well-respected profession with positive long-term career prospects and good benefits”. The President said. “We’ve restored, since coming into the office five years ago, and we continue to pay teacher trainee allowances, which were abolished by the previous administration”. “Yearly average increase in salaries over the last five years, my government has, for the first time in our nation’s history, been paying a professional allowance to teachers” and also: “We’ve abolished the three-month pay policy for teachers”. Responding to teachers’ benefits, he said: “We have cleared the arrears. Let me repeat: we have cleared the arrears and promotions due teachers have also been affected”. The government, the President intimated, “is also committed to the development of affordable housing for teachers all across the nation”. “The current initiative will involve the provision of housing for both mortgage and rental”, he explained, observing: “I’m fully aware the one challenge facing teacher ownership of homes, beyond finance, is their inability to purchase homes where they intend to retire”. However, he noted that “through a subsidized loan programme, teachers will be provided an opportunity to own homes, houses in desired locations in various parts of the country”. According to the President, the Ministry of Education “is working with the National Service Scheme on this”. The President added that the Ministry of Works and Housing “is in discussions with teacher unions, including your own GNAT, to provide more housing opportunities for teachers”. According to him, “Within the next two years, it is proposed that 10,000 housing units, on affordable terms, will be developed for teachers across the country”. “This, we all know, is the tip of the iceberg but it is a good beginning”, the President said. “I’m glad to hear how much you welcome the supply of laptops and promise you that the other related matters of concern of which the national president referred to in her speech, will be addressed.” “Good relations between GNAT and my government are a matter of importance to me and I’ll do my very best to promote such relations”, he stressed. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Tamale Technical University expels 193 students
Tamale Technical University has expelled One Hundred and Ninety-Three (193) students after they were found culpable of exam malpractices. According to the committee, One Hundred and Ninety-Six (196) of examination malpractices were reported Below is the full report: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Over 40 Basic Schools in Bolgatanga Municipality without classroom and furniture–MCE
It has been revealed that over 40 Basic Schools in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region have no classrooms or furniture. This was revealed by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mr. Rex Asanga during a press soiree organized by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) on December 15, 2021. Responding to a question asked about a neglected school in his community in Sumburungu known as Atampuurum B primary, Mr. Asanga acknowledged the school’s long-awaited predicament. According to him, there are over 40 neglected schools across the Municipality: “That’s true, me from that area i know the problem and is not just Atampuurum B primary. When I took up office, i asked the Municipal Director of Education to give me a list of all the schools that have no classrooms or furniture and she brought a list of over 40 schools. So we are looking to see how we can prioritize and begin systematically to see if we can solve some of these problems. So, is not just Atampuurum B primary only, there are so many schools that are having a problem with infrastructure and furniture” he confirmed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093