‘Serious management issues are affecting education in VR’
A Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, has blamed the poor academic performance of pupils in the Volta Region on what he described as “serious management issues.”
Advertisement
He said findings and analysis by the ministry showed that the inability of directors and managers to supervise and carry out managerial issues accounted for the falling standard of education in the region.
Mr Ablakwa made the assertion during the inauguration of the Ketu North Education Directorate office at Dzodze.
He stated that “serious management issues brought about absenteeism, drunkenness and other bad practices which are militating against the performance of pupils, as managers are merely “armchair directors.”
He added that it was unacceptable for the region to place last in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination and charged the stakeholders to sit up.
The complex, valued at GH¢507,557.88, is part of a 19.67 million-dollar USAID support for 150 education projects in 38 deprived communities in the country.
The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Education, is providing “matching funds” of about 33 per cent.
Mr Ablakwa said though the provision of the building was important, management of education was more important.
“Yes, this building is nice, it is beautiful but don’t be armchair directors,” he advised.
He also stated it was worrying that a good number of teachers in schools were doing businesses such as selling credit cards and pastries in schools and driving taxis in town, a situation that he described as “a case of serving two masters.”
“You can’t serve two masters. Either you sell credit cards or be a teacher; you can’t do the two,” Mr Ablakwa cautioned.
He said often, managers complained of poor offices and working space and expressed the hope the facility would help improve standards in the district.
Mr Ablakwa urged chiefs and opinion leaders to show interest in education, especially in their communities, and ensure that teachers and managers delivered their best.
He added: “If supervision is poor, management is poor, report them to us and we will take action.”
Ms Yvonne Oberhollenzer from the USAID office in Accra said her outfit remained committed to partnering Ghana in education to ensure that every child got the opportunity to succeed.
The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr Francis Ganyaglo, commended USAID for the support and expressed the hope that the facility would helpimprove academic performance in the district.
He urged the stakeholders to cultivate a maintenance culture to preserve the life span of the complex.
The Ketu North District Chief Executive, Mr Kofi Lawson, said since 2008, the district had executed 56 out of 115 development projects.
The acting Ketu North District Education Director, Madam Mabel Esegbe, gave an assurance that the complex would be put to good use to improve academic performance in the area.
