GES should strengthen monitoring and inspection system in schools

Kumasi, April 22, GNA - The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been entreated to adequately resource its Monitoring and Inspectorate Unit for the betterment of the country's education. Mr Young Attipoe, Director of Mercy Baptist Basic School at Oforikrom in Kumasi, who made the call, was optimistic that the unit when properly resourced would be capable to embark on the regular checks of schools to flush out unregistered, sub-standard and mushroom private schools.

He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on Tuesday in the wake of the unfortunate incidence, in which 106 students of the Christ the King Basic School at Ayigya in Kumasi, were unable to write this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) because the school authorities misappropriated their registration fees. Mr Attipoe affirmed that it was unfortunate for the GES to rule that the said school was not on their records and as such was not recognized. "If the inspectorate unit of GES was that strong, it would have been able to monitor and track down such an unregistered school," he said.

On the way forward for private schools, the Director appealed to the government to extend the capitation grant and school feeding programme to private schools. Mr Attipoe stressed the need for stakeholders not to underestimate the crucial role played by private schools in the nation's educational development, adding that they had over the years churned out quality products for all the economic sectors. 22 April 09