The Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has challenged heads of basic schools to ensure that every educational intervention translates into improved learning outcomes for pupils.
Addressing the 5th Quadrennial National Conference of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools in Koforidua, she stressed that school heads remain at the heart of efforts to achieve excellence in education.
The Vice President said effective school leadership is critical to improving the quality of education and urged heads to embrace innovation, accountability and collaboration in driving better academic performance.
“At the heart of every educational intervention must be improved learning outcomes. Our objective must not end with increased enrollment or expanded infrastructure, but to effective learning, acquisition of knowledge, skills, values and competencies. Our heads remain critical to achieve these objectives,” she said.
The National President of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools, Nicholas Nii Kpakpoe Addo, called on government to address disparities in teacher postings.
“On teachers, those in hinterland normally don’t get the required teachers, you go to certain basic schools instead of six teachers you have three combining classrooms, while others are over staffing classrooms in the cities.”
He also called for the timely supply of teaching and learning materials and appealed for vehicle tax waivers to basic school heads to facilitate their work.
“No worker can do his work effectively without the necessary materials. We would like the government to work on the distribution of materials for teaching, especially textbooks. Also, most of the basic schools don’t have accommodation. And so you commute from your house to the school. so sometimes pick two or three cars. If government will implement this tax waiver for us, it’s going to encourage teachers to go to school early, even if it is raining you are in your car, you drive to work,” he said.
Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, acknowledged the concerns raised and assured the conference that government is committed to addressing the challenges and improving conditions within the basic education sector.
“We are not blind to the conditions under which you serve. Overcrowded classrooms, schools without adequate infrastructure, ICT, water, electricity challenges, unsafe access roads and housing challenges. The issues are numerous, we appreciate them and are doing our best to address as many of them,” Dr Apaak assured.
