General News of Thursday, 19 July 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-07-19
A furnished science laboratory
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has commissioned three completed Accra city school projects.
The projects are Labawaleshie Presby cluster of schools, Accra College of Education Demonstration School and Maamobi prisons cluster of schools.
The schools which have been furnished with a K-G block, a 3-Storey 18-Unit Classroom Block, a science lab, computer lab and a library is expected to accommodate eight hundred school children.
“One of the major programmes ever embarked upon by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the educational sector since the inception of decentralization that benefits the modern city of Accra.
“With the support of the World Bank, acting through the ministry of local government and the rural development (MLGRD), the assembly has completed the construction of 3No. Accra Metropolitan City Schools.”
Speaking to Citi News on the sideline of the event the mayor of Accra hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah said the completion and commissioning of these schools are aimed among others, do away with the shift system most basic school run with.
“We were in a hurry to get these projects done in order to address the issues relating to accessibility, equality, and quality of education at the basic school level. We have also eliminated the shift system. The AMA decided to do away with the shift system, so in pursuit of that, we need to expand our infrastructure base because a couple of schools in the city are still overpopulated. This would also help increase school contact hours between teachers and children” the Mayor said.
The Headmistress of the Accra College of Education Demonstration School Doris Akosua Aku, said although the school has been completed, it is not adequately equipped for classes to run correctly.
Contrary to the Mayor’s decision to do away with the shift system at the junior high school level, there have been numerous calls for the government to adopt a multi-track system for admission into the senior high school.
This follows reports that some students who qualify for Senior High School are turned away due to lack of adequate infrastructure.
A renowned educationist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, has proposed the implementation of the “multi-track calendar system” to help rectify the problem.
According to him, the multi-track system means that the number of prospective students would be enrolled within two separate entries.
He said for this to be possible, the three-term academic calendar system for Senior High Schools could be reduced to two semesters just like in the universities.
“We are proposing what we call the multi-track calendar system which allows you to double your intake,” he said.