The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has asked head teachers of basic schools to ensure that every intervention made in the educational sector translates into improved learning outcomes for pupils to ensure quality education.
She told them to also ensure good as well as effective leadership practices at the basic school level to guarantee the improvement of quality education.
The Vice-President made the call when she addressed the 5th Quadrennial National Conference of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, last Wednesday.
The event with the theme: “Repositioning Headteachers for Effective School Governance and Improved Learning Outcomes”, brought together various head teachers of basic schools across the country.
The conference serves as a platform for the heads of public basic schools to review issues affecting basic education, discuss school leadership and governance, and elect national executives to steer the affairs of the association for the next four years.
Learning materials
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang pledged government’s commitment to strengthen the basic education sector, equip schools with teaching and learning materials and other resources.
She added that efforts were underway to expand digital literacy, improve access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) resources and strengthen online learning platforms.
She, therefore, called on school management committees, community leaders and education officers to support head teachers to enable them to improve school governance.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, however, stressed that school heads remained at the heart of efforts to achieve excellence in education.
The Vice-President said effective school leadership was critical to improving the quality of education and urged the heads to embrace innovation, accountability and collaboration in driving better academic performance.
Deprived communities
The National President of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools, Nicholas Nii Kpakpoe Addo, appealed to the government to effectively address the disparities in teacher postings.
"With regard to teachers, those teaching in the hinterlands or deprived communities normally don’t get the required number of teachers.
You go to certain basic schools, and instead of six teachers you have three combining classrooms, while others are overstaffed in the cities,” he stated.
He called for the timely supply of teaching and learning materials and also appealed for vehicle tax waivers to basic school heads to facilitate their work.
Additionally, he stressed that most of the basic schools did not have accommodation and had to commute from their places of abode to the school, sometimes having to board three vehicles before getting to school.
Commitment
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, who acknowledged the concerns raised by the association, assured the conference that the government was committed to addressing the challenges and improving conditions at the basic education level.
“We are not blind to the conditions under which you serve — overcrowding classrooms, schools without adequate infrastructure, ICT, water, electricity challenges, unsafe access roads and housing challenges.
"The issues are numerous; we appreciate them and are doing our best as a ministry to address as many such issues,” Dr Apaak told the gathering.
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