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GHANA WEATHER

Gov’t is not committed to only Senior High School education

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The Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Amidu Chinnia Issahaku has dispelled rumors that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo’s emphasis has only been on Senior High School, (SHS) education thus abandoning all the other levels of education. He described such thoughts and comments as untrue.

The Deputy Minister explained that under the tenure of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the Capitation Grant was introduced as a means of achieving universal basic education by the provision of funds to sustain students through the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Education Directorates.

Mr. Chinnia Issahaku said during that time, the Kufuor led government pegged Capitation at 3.50 Ghana-Cedis. He said the figure for the entire duration of the NDC’s tenure only saw a marginal increase to just about 4.50 Ghana-cedis. The Deputy Minister said in view of President Akufo Addo’s commitment to ensure a deepened access to quality education at the basic level, the Capitation in just about three years has been increased to 10.00 Ghana-cedis per child across all basic schools in the country.

Mr. Chinnia described the increment as “very significant so that money is made available to the basic schools and the districts offices so that they can handle education at the basic school level”. He said government realizes that “the surest way to reducing poverty in Ghana” is by investing in education.

The Deputy Minister said another show of commitment by the current government to education is the decentralization of the Scholarship Secretariat.

Mr. Chinnia Issahaku said pragmatic steps have been taken to ensure that tertiary students in need of support could access scholarships at the various MMDAs throughout the country.

For his part, the DCE for Wa East, Moses Jotie disclosed that the district supported 25 out the 41 students at the tertiary level who submitted their details for scholarships. He said a total of 60,020 Ghana Cedis has been paid to the various tertiary institutions of the award beneficiaries.

DCE, Wa East, Moses Jotie

Mr. Jotie said to ensure the progress of education in the district, a number of projects have been undertaken with funding from the District Assmebly Common Fund (DACF) and the Internally Generated Funds. They include: the construction of a 3 unit classroom block with ICT Laboratory and Office in Yaru, construction of a 3 unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Bulenga, construction of a classroom block at Yaala Number 2.

Others are the institution of award packages for best performing candidates at both the BECE and WASSCE and the supply of 500 dual desks to basic schools across the district.

The Public Relations Officer of the Wa East District Education Directorate, Bamutu Wongtina used the platform to debunk media reports claiming that no girl had graduated from the Sawoubea JHS in more than two decades.

Wa East, GES PRO, Wongtina Bamutu

He described the report as one without facts, baseless and in very bad taste saying it was hatched on “miscommunication and misinformation”.

He said the Sawoubea JHS was established in 2017 and thus could not have been right that for more than two decades, no girl had completed their JHS education there. He said before the establishment of a JHS in the community the students after primary six furthered their education in adjourning communities.

The PRO called on the media to verify information before publication to avoid misreporting.

Story filed by Mark Smith

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