African governments urged to tackle educational problems

Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July '99

A call has gone out to African governments to strive to overcome problems associated with the falling enrolment ratios, drop-out rates and poor performance levels that affect education so as to achieve positive returns on education.

Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, a deputy Minister of Education, who made the call in Accra on Thursday, said research in education must also be encouraged since it has been identified "as the key-pin to effective solution of problems related to the provision of quality education."

Periodic review of the educational system through research should be done to make policies responsive to the needs and changes of the times, he said.

Dr Chambas was opening a day's workshop on Gender and Primary Schools Project (GAPS). The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Education, was to discuss the draft report of the project findings and recommendations.

The final report will be presented to the Ministry in October.

The project which started in January last year, seeks to identify the most promising policy options to achieve primary schooling for all and the resource implications of such policies.

The project, which is also researching into factors that cause low participation and the performance of girls in primary schools relative to boys, was initiated by the Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWE) and co-ordinated by the Institute of Development Studies of the University of Sussex, in the United Kingdom.