NUGS unhappy with absence of syllabus, text books for education reform

Accra, May 14, GNA - The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on Wednesday expressed worry that some schools were yet to acquire necessary syllabus and textbooks, despite the implementation of the new education reform this academic year. It said the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports had also failed to build the capacity of teachers on the new aspects of the reform to enable them to carry on with its smooth implementation. This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Kweku Tuoho Bombason, NUGS President and Mr David Sebastian Damoah, Press and Information Secretary, issued in Accra to mark the International Students' Day slated for May 15.

NUGS further called for a concerted effort to ensure industrial peace on the education front, if the education reform would be successful. It also expressed concern at the increasing cost of education, especially in tertiary institutions and student accommodation problems. The Union called for measures to rectify delays in the release of feeding grant to senior high schools in the three northern regions. It also appealed to government to intervene and get the University of Development Studies (UDS) Medical School accredited as soon as possible to enable the students to find their feet and allow for admissions for the 2008/2009 academic year.

NUGS pointed out that the delay was worrying since the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology had refused to accept the students to continue their clinical education, as was done initially. The Union urged government to be more committed to education that dealt with training people for the health sector such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other paramedics, adding that the increasing number of fee-paying students in medical schools was also worrying.