Minister attributes poor performance at tertiary level to weak foundation

Tanoso (Ash), Oct. 26, GNA - Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State in-charge of Tertiary Education, has attributed the poor academic performance in tertiary institutions to weak foundation at the basic level.

She mentioned some militating factors at the basic levels against good performance as indiscipline, poor infrastructure, the lack of teachers and poor environment.

Ms Ohene therefore appealed to district assemblies and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to provide the needed amenities for their schools to promote quality education.

She was speaking at the third graduation ceremony of John William Montessori School at Tanoso near Kumasi on Sunday.

Ms Ohene said the capitation grant for the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) was one of the efforts by government to improve upon education in the country and therefore asked parents to co-operate with teachers to train their children's minds, souls and bodies.

She asked proprietors of schools not to make profit their sole aim of establishing schools but the training of the children to become useful citizens should be their prime consideration.

Mr Columbus Tikure Kumbal, Director, said the school, which was established in 1997 with 38 pupils, four teachers and three non-teaching staff now had a population of 603 children, 33 teaching staff and 12 non-teaching staff.

He said the school was noted for its high academic standard and had a well equipped library and computer block but complained about accommodation problem the staff faced and appealed to landlords at Tanoso to assist in accommodating the teachers. Mrs Fosu Randall, Founder, advised the pupils to take good care of school's property and commended the teachers for their hard work, which had brought honour to the school.

In a related development, Friends of John William Montessori School abroad have donated 22 million cedis for the running of the school's clinic They have in addition purchased drugs worth 125 million cedis to stock the clinic.