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President Kufuor launches new
Education Reform
Accra, April 11, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on
Wednesday launched a new Education Reform Programme that
proposes eleven years of Free Compulsory Universal Basic
Education (FCUBE) and four years of Senior High School (SHS)
formerly Senior Secondary School (SSS).
The new system, which would be implemented from September 1,
2007, starts with two years of kindergarten for pupils at
age four; six years of primary school at which the pupil
attains age 12; to be followed by three years of Junior High
School (JHS) till the pupil is 15 years.
After the JHS, the student may choose to go into different
streams of the four years of Senior High School which would
offer General Education with electives in General, Business,
Technical, Vocational and Agricultural Education options for
entry into Tertiary Institutions or the job market.
President Kufuor noted that the reform was designed, among
other things, to prepare the appropriate human resource in
the form of skilled, technologically-advanced and
disciplined workforce with the right ethics to service the
growing economy.
He said the Reform placed emphasis on Mathematics, Science
and Technology, but to develop a well rounded society, the
Arts and Social Sciences would continue to receive the
necessary support in the curriculum.
"This should promote Ghana's surge into the Golden age of
business and national prosperity. It should also reinforce
Ghana's role as a beacon nation in the resurgence of Africa
as envisioned in the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD)."
President Kufuor said the expectation of the Education
Reform, which coincided with the UN's Millennium Development
Goals, was to advance the literacy rate to 100 per cent by
2015, pay special attention to girls’ education to make them
better mothers and heighten awareness of the environment to
preserve national resources.
He said an Apprenticeship Programme, organized jointly by
the State and Industry for skills acquisition would be
available for students, who opted for employment after
Junior High School, of which the cost of the first year
would be borne by the State.
President Kufuor said the Reform also acknowledged the
mastery of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as
a priority and that as skills in ICT had become crucial for
the survival of the global world, government would extend
the national broadband backbone connectivity throughout the
country to facilitate the development of ICT infrastructure
in schools.
President Kufuor said teacher quality was critical to the
implementation of the Reform Programme at all levels hence
the Government was committed to improving the conditions of
service of teachers to motivate them to give of their best.
He said currently the upgrading and refurbishment of all the
38 Teacher Training Colleges in the country were underway
and that 15 of them were being specially equipped for
Science, Mathematics and Technology which constituted the
new focus of the educational delivery programme.
He said the Government was establishing a National Teachers
Council to regulate the profession and that a Distance
Education Programme to upgrade teachers while still at post
was ongoing to ensure that they were abreast with the best
practices of their profession to serve all schools
irrespective of their location in the country.
He said Tertiary education would also benefit from the
Reform as a policy was underway to expand residential
accommodation, lecture halls, laboratories and libraries of
the 15 Universities and 10 Polytechnics of the country.
He said the Educational Reform Programme had been under
preparation since 2002 and commended Professor Jophus
Anamuah-Mensah, Vice Chancellor of the University of
Education, Winneba and his Review Committee Team for a
remarkable work done in analyzing the educational structures
and contents to make the Reform possible.
President Kufuor said nurturing a child was hardly the
exclusive preserve of educational institutions and called on
families; religious groups; nongovernmental organisations
(NGOs); Civil Society at large and the Media to join hands
with school authorities to create comprehensive network of
oversight for a rational educational system.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and
Sports, noted that a sober look at the country's education
system brought out major failures, which if left unresolved
would hinder efforts to propel Ghana to a great future.
He said about 60 per cent of Junior Secondary School (JSS)
graduates left school ill equipped and not proficient in
craft and technical skills to enter the job market.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah said the new Education Reform was the
best that the country could afford, that would address these
systemic faults and correlate to the needs of industry so as
to maximize potentials.
He said the Reform had innovation at its core with the
decentralization of Government's supervision and monitoring
to enhance effectiveness and create a paradigm shift in the
approach to education.
Papa Owusu-Amkomah said some of the innovations included
emphasis on literacy; numeracy, creative arts and problem
solving skills, adding that lessons would be learnt through
play at the kindergarten level.
At the Lower Primary, English, Basic Mathematics Skills;
Natural Science and the Dominant Ghanaian Language of the
area would be taught.
"Tackling the toughest problems is indeed the truest sign of
leadership and to that extent we laud again the efforts of
President Kufuor, Professor Anamuah-Mensah and countless
other unsung heroes who have made this day possible."
Professor Jerome Djangmah, Chairman of the West African
Examination Council (WAEC), who chaired the launch, urged
the Government to ensure that conditions of service for
teachers were improved to support the implementation of the
Reform.
"If West African countries ignore their teachers, they will
pay dearly for their sins" he said, adding that at the
appropriate time Past Director Generals Ghana Education
Service would send a memorandum to the Ministry of
Education, Science and Sports to enhance the implementation
process.
GNA
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