Revisit partnership in education with churches - Bishop

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church–Ghana, Most Reverend Titus Awotwi Pratt has urged government to re-enter former partnership arrangement where churches were entrusted with school management to build solid educational foundation and morals.

Revered Pratt made the call at the launch of Wesley Grammar School’s 60th anniversary held on the Theme: “Education in contemporary Ghana; prospects and challenges after 60 years: the Wesley Grammar story.”

He noted that prior to government taking over the schools from the churches, Christian formation had laid strong foundation with effective teaching that enabled school children to read and study the scriptures in their mother tongue.

“School children would attend the traditional Sunday afternoon School for further Christian education classes as well as the study of the vernacular purposely to enable them to read and study in their mother tongue,” he said.

He explained that before independence in 1957, all church-related schools were exclusively administered by the churches but the accelerated policy of the early 1960s by the then government partially took control over the schools.

The government met all salaries whiles the management of the schools remained the preserve of the church, he said, with Head teachers and teachers being trained and appointed by the church, with the Ministry of Education sanctioning approval to such appointments.

“Now appointments are made by the Ghana Education Service with limited reference to the churches,” he said.

“The time is rife for the government to revisit the former partnership arrangement with the churches in the management of our basic schools,” Reverend Pratt said.

The Methodist top man maintained that churches should be given the mandate to staff their schools, form working party with the Ministry of Education to formulate policies, prepare curricula and manage the day-to-day affairs of schools.

“The making of morally sound individuals starts from this level and only the church can do it better,” the Reverend argued.

The 60th anniversary launch was interlaced with the unveiling of an anniversary cloth and brought together old boys and girls, who are now occupying high public and private offices to go down the memory lane with nostalgia.