No textbooks and your concern is portraits? - Dr. Apaak quizzes Education Minister

The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak has taken a swipe at Education Minister Dr. Yaw Adutwum.

The legislator who represents the people of Builsa South is wondering why the minister would instruct schools in the country to fix in the offices of all headmasters pictures of the President and Education Minister.

Dr. Apaak says this is a misplaced priority especially when schools in the country have not received textbooks two years after the curriculum was reviewed.

He said some others are studying in dilapidated facilities and yet the minister is only interested in the fixing of pictures in the offices of headmasters.

Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has said photos of the president and the Minister in charge of Education must be fixed in the offices of all headmasters nationwide.

According to him, this will help the students and pupils to familiarise themselves with the faces of the President and minister.

“I just want to, first of all, thank God for this opportunity and thank the president for the confidence reposed in me to put me in this unique situation to be able to spearhead the attainment of his vision for education transformation in Ghana.

“Four years was great, it was an exciting ti. for me, very busy schedule visiting classrooms unannounced and teaching some classes. It was exciting that you could interact with the children, you see the joy in their faces when they get to know at that time, the deputy minister for education and then you had to explain to them. Because when you enter the campus, invariably you don’t see the picture of the president, something that I am going to be working on, at least in the headmaster’s office the picture of the Minister for Education is not there.

“So we had to break it down for them to appreciate ministers before you introduce yourself as a Deputy Minister.

“Once they get to know, they get excited and the excitement rubs off on you in a very positive way that the children are happy to see somebody in government in their classroom so I enjoyed the first four years.”

He made the remarks in an interview with TV3 recently.

In justifying the order he said “They could not understand who you are so you have to start and ask who the President of Ghana is. Some of them will get it right, some will get it wrong and then you drill it down to the point where they will appreciate who you are.

“Once they get to know who you are they get excited. If you go to most public offices you the see the president picture, the Coat of Arms, civics, it gets you to appreciate the country that you are growing up in. as a child…It is very important to let them know that the picture they see, one day it will be their picture.”

But reacting, Dr. Apaak slammed the minister and asked him to get his priority right.

He said he was disappointed that a man who has been recommended for his work would get it wrong this time.

“Our basic schools: have no books two years after the introduction of a new curriculum; lack adequate furniture; students study in dilapidated structures; rural schools have no teachers, And your concern is to have Portraits in schools? I’m disappointed!”