The government has recruited 59,000 teachers since 2017 – Minister of Education

General News of Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-07-10

Education Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh described the era of President Akufo-Addo as the best time to study in Ghana.

According to the Minister of Education, the introduction of the policy of free high schools has resulted in a 31% increase in the number of enrollments, against the specter of 100,000 students who drop out of school each year at the lower secondary level in the years before 2017.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said that "for the first time in 10 years, under President Akufo-Addo, we told him and no one could dispute it, every child of every high school received all basic manuals. It never happened before. "

He added, "Not only did we provide the basic textbooks, we also provided revision books in mathematics. In addition, we buy questions and answers on WAEC exams since 1993 so that students can learn them. There is no better time to study than now.

The Minister of Education said on Monday, July 8, when he joined President Akufo-Addo in a meeting with members of the Ghanaian community in Paris, as part of the official visit of last in this country.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh said that when Northern grants were established by Ghana's chief executive, Kwame Nkrumah, there were only two schools in all three northern regions.

"That did not stop Kwame Nkrumah from creating scholarships for northern schools. Not having enough clbadrooms will never stop us from having Free SHS. In fact, Ghanaians voted and the number of registrations increased by 31% in 2017 and 2018, "he said.

With regard to the problems related to the introduction of the dual-track school system, the Minister of Education indicated that 8,000 teachers were employed specifically.

"We met the deadlines we needed and the President ordered the Minister of Finance to give the green light, and we did. This includes the 59,000 teachers we have employed by that time. What you hear when you always listen to social media is not very true. Sometimes your judgment is darkened by the truth, "he added.

With the introduction of the four-year Bachelor of Education in 2018 in the country's university colleges, the Minister of Education said that "there is no such thing". graduate teacher. Everyone who comes out will get a diploma. "

The minister pointed out that the conversion of colleges of education into colleges by the Akufo-Addo government has resulted in a record number of students wishing to be admitted.

"When they were graduate students, they spent a lot of time doing extra work in other schools and not concentrating in clbad. Now it's not a second-rate school because they could not go to college. It's a choice they've decided to make as teachers, "he said.

The Minister of Education also lamented the lack of teacher training in the junior high school curriculum for about forty (40) years, with the last teacher resource kit compiled in the 1950s.

"We did it (teacher training in a new program) this year. Things will be better. Education is such that we have to invest a lot before we can reap the benefits. It's not like taking your child to the hospital. It's instantaneous. It takes time and we need patience from the Ghanaians. Ghana's education has never been as good as it will be and it will improve, "said Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.