Pupils do not need extra classes – Minister

The Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, has expressed concern about rampant extra classes for pupils by teachers and head teachers in the country, saying the pupils did not need those classes.

She noted the time table for every term was structured to fit or cover the academic calendar, and as such the pupils did not need extra classes.

Speaking at the presentation of 14 buses to selected schools across the country on Monday, she urged teachers not to put pressure on the brains of their pupils, in the name of organizing extra classes, as the pupils as well as their brains had a limit as to what they could absorb.

She also appealed to teachers not to keep textbooks given to their schools from the pupils as it did not augur well for their academic development.

She wondered why some teachers would choose to keep books which had been handed over to their schools in their cupboards, instead of making them available to the pupils to enhance academic work.

She expressed her appreciation to the Chinese Government for the presentation of the 32 seater Zhongtong buses, and lauded it for its assistance to the IT Centre at the University of Ghana, and the continuous development of the University of Allied Sciences at Ho.

The beneficiary schools included Savelugu School for the Deaf, Kibi School for the Deaf, Sekondi School for the Deaf, Gbi Kledjo Special School at Ho and Navrongo Special School.

The rest were Mowere Secondary Technical in the Central Region, Salaga SHS, Toubodum SHS, Nyarkrom SHS, Aveyime Bator SHS, Yilo Krobo SHS, Garden City Special School, Tumu SHS and FIC St. Loius Educational Complex in Kumasi.

She pledged the readiness of government to continue with its good works at Teacher Training Colleges across the country to ensure quality education at the basic level.

She said the buses would enhance the movement of the students to field trips, excursions, social gatherings as well as boost the pride in their schools as the names of their schools would be boldly embossed on the buses.

Mr Lee Jian, Economic and Commercial Chancellor at the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, said China had continuously assisted Ghana since they entered into diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

He cited the giving of Chinese concessional loans, furniture to schools in the country, financial support against the fight against malaria, as some of the latest Chinese assistance to Ghana.

Mr Justice Kojo Frimpong, Headteacher of Mowere Secondary Technical School, on behalf of the beneficiary schools, expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Government for the buses.

He called for more assistance to the various departments of the schools, by equipping them with the needed facilities.

“We will be more grateful if more assistance would be channeled to the various practical departments of our schools, such as the vocational, the technical and our science departments,” he said.