Provide quality textbooks- Educationist

Ho, July 23, GNA - An educationist on Wednesday urged officials of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to ensure that suppliers of textbooks provide the schools with books made with good materials.

Mr Moses Fiawoyife, the Headteacher of Norvisi Junior Secondary School 'B" at Abutia made the call during an open forum at a durbar of Ho District Heads of Basic Schools in Ho.

He said the English textbooks being distributed now had "unpardonable" errors, which made teaching and learning difficult for pupils. Mr Fiawoyife said the books were hurriedly produced and some did not include topics under the syllabuses they were produced for.

The durbar, which was attended by 330 members was under the theme, "Arresting the Falling Standards of Education, the Role of the Teacher and Other Stakeholders".

Mr Dickson Kwadzo Dokpornu, Chairman of the Association said all stakeholders must tackle the plummeting standards with zeal before it got out hand.

He said many school leavers in the district could not read, communicate nor numerate adequately.

Mr Dokpornu said the Association, realising the seriousness of the situation, held similar durbars in the 19 Circuits of the District to prompt the various stakeholders into action.

Mr Godwin Nyamalor, Volta Regional Manager of Roman Catholic Schools commended teachers in public schools for doing their best but regretted that some of them fail to approach their work with seriousness as they put in little efforts.

He observed that contact hours in public schools had been reduced due to the many calls on headteachers and teachers to attend all kinds of meetings at the expense of their pupils.

Mr Nyamalor said the situation was the opposite in Private Schools where only Proprietors attended such meetings.

He said there was some despondency among teachers who belong to the SSNIT Pension Scheme because of the notion that the scheme was less adequate to shore up pensioners than the Cap 30.

Mr Samuel Amedzoh, Assistant Director, Finance and Administration, Ho District Directorate of Ghana Education Service (GES) said government was finding it increasingly difficult to provide logistics and infrastructure for schools.

He said this was because only 10 per cent of the national budget for education was left for development with the rest 90 per cent going into payment of salaries.

Mr Kofi Attor, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho Central regretted that some community Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) in the district could not raise enough qualified Junior Secondary School (JSS) leavers in their localities to fill a class.

A nine-point resolution signed by Mr Henry Komla Adzato, Secretary of the Association calling for the restoration of all teachers to the Cap 30 Pensions Scheme, early and unhindered payment of pension entitlements and a housing scheme for teachers was presented to government through the GES Ho district office.