Wa PTA/SMC Coalition holds education development forum

The Wa Municipal Parent Teachers Association/School Management Committee (PTA/SMC) Coalition has held an education development forum to address challenges impeding the delivery of quality basic education in the municipality.

The forum brought together key education stakeholders including pupils/students, teachers, parents, Ghana Education Service (GES), Municipal Assembly, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Corporate Bodies, Donors and the Media among others to identify challenges and communicate solutions for implementation.

The stakeholders shared ideas on strategies and ways to sustain the project gains in the 21 communities and to present identified community school priorities and suggested solutions labeled as “community education action plans” for possible stakeholder buy-ins.

Presentations were made for a thorough discussing of the challenges facing the implementation of the delivery of quality basic education.

It is also to present for empowerment selected community representatives named “Drivers of Change” to play an active role in supporting education after the project ends as well as advocate on prevailing issues and promote education duty-bearers’ awareness and response and commitment to schools’ needs.

Mr. Issahaku Nuhu Putiaha, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, commended the Wa PTA/SMC Coalition and its sponsors STAR-Ghana for their concern and unwavering support towards improving quality education delivery in the Municipality.

He said it was common knowledge that the good performance of a school was determined largely by all the stakeholders such as parents, pupils, teachers and education institutions among others and that it was appropriate the Coalition organised the forum for them to brainstorm on the challenges as well as find ways of sustaining the gains made by the Coalition.

Mr. Putiaha said it was disheartening that some parents did not take interest in the performance of their children.

He said as a major stakeholder, the Assembly had made significant strides in the education sector by providing school infrastructure and sponsored needy but brilliant students as well as revived and supported with logistics for the effective functioning of the Municipal Education Oversight Committee.

He said despite those giant strides, the Assembly was still resource constrained and appealed to all to understand that the Assembly alone could not provide all their needs at the same time, hence, the need for PTA/SMC and community leaders to take self-initiatives in order to resolve some of the challenges.

Mr. Abdul-Nayaru Saani, the Presiding Member for the Wa Municipal Assembly appealed to the Coalition and education authorities to monitor teachers’ attendance at school as teacher absenteeism was one of the major contributing factors to poor education performance in the Municipality.

Mr. Saaka Bukari, the Chairman of the Wa PTA/SMC Coalition, outlined school land encroachment, elopement of school girls and students sleeping late at night due to video shows and record dance as some of the community level changes affecting education performance.