Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, Minister-designate for Education says the debate over whether or not Ghana needed free SHS was a misnomer.
As far as she is concerned, central to the education debate ought to be what the products of the nation’s educational system should be.
Prof Opoku Agyemang made these statements when she appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament Thursday.
She explained that it was important to assess the skills school children were learning and evaluate the impact of the education they received and whether the knowledge they obtained will impact their future positively.
Parents, she said, must be able to judge whether or not they are getting adequate returns for their investments in the education of their children and if they can afford giving their wards further education.
These concerns, she believed, were more critical to the debate than simply the question of free or otherwise.
On the subject of retaining teachers in rural communities, the Education Minister-designate reasoned that in order to motivate teachers to accept postings to rural areas, certain peculiar incentives must be provided.
Promotions for such teachers could be fast tracked, she suggested, alongside providing them with accommodation and vehicles.
Schools in deprived communities should be properly designed and as a matter of priority be provided with essential facilities such as water and electricity to ensure that teachers posted there are guaranteed a certain minimum quality of life.
“…I have had serious reservations about some of our basic schools’ designs. The walls are not high enough, roofs cut out light, there’s too little ventilation and natural light, so we need a conversation with our architects to make classrooms more spacious and conducive to learning.”
Prof Opoku Agyemang believes doing these will make life easy for teachers posted to rural areas and boost their confidence.
Story by Ghana/Myjoyonline.com/Dorcas Efe Mensah