White Paper on President's Committee on education to be made public

Accra, Oct 12, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, on Tuesday said the White Paper on the President's Committee on Education would be made public and the recommendations adopted to ensure quality education.

The minister said the 226-page document contained many recommendations that focus on problems in the education sector but these need to be studied in detail.

Mr Baah Wiredu, who was reacting to a call from a member during contributions to statement in Parliament, said funds have been given to 40 deprived districts under the Education Sector Project to help schools in the these areas to raise the standards of education and inject quality in teaching.

He said efforts were being made to address the issue of supervision in schools and delays in payment of salaries of new teachers. Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, had expressed worry that there were challenges facing the education sector and these include shortage of teachers and poor teaching facilities.

He said there was the need for the government to come out with a White Paper on the report.

Mr Benjamin Ayeh, NPP-Upper Denkyira, who made the statement, spoke about the falling standards of education in his constituency and said it was worrying that while many girls enrolled at the primary level only about five percent of these girls made it to secondary schools. He appealed to the authorities to provide hostel facilities for the Dunkwa Secondary Technical and Diaso Secondary schools.

Mr Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu, NPP-Old Tafo Suame, called for the expansion and upgrading of teacher training institutions to help address problems associated with quality teaching.

When Public Business commenced, there were presentation and first reading of bills including that of Civil Aviation, Long-Term Savings Scheme and Venture Capital Trust Bills.

The agreement between the government of Ghana and Kaiser Aluminium and Chemical Corporation for the sale and purchase of the issued shares of Volta Aluminium Company Limited held by Kaiser Aluminium and Chemical Corporation was laid before the house by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Papa Owusu Ankoma.