Category: Education

Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, General Secretary, Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union of Trades Union Congress, Ghana, (TEWU-TUC Ghana), has called on authorities to inspire the vulnerable to develop their talents for national progress.

He said Ghanaians needed to see it as a divine call to use their talents and material and spiritual wealth to inspire the vulnerable in order to empower them to contribute their quota towards the socio-economic progress of the country.??

He said assisting the vulnerable, no matter how little such gestures may be, means a whole lot to them,

as they would feel a sense of belonging.

Mr Korankye said this during a presentation to the Dzorwulu Special School in Accra to mark his 60th birthday.

The event was attended by the staff of TEWU-TUC and business wings of the Union like the TEWU Fund.

The items presented worth GHc 15,000 included bags of rice, beans, and gari, soft drinks, biscuits, and bread, as well as gallons of cooking oil, detergents, toilet rolls, sanitary pads,
and liquid soap.

Mr Korankye, flanked by his wife, family, and friends, while? handing over the items to the students and management of the school, said, the reason for selecting that institution was because they were considered deprived, and ‘we pray that at least

these little items could also give them some joy and happiness.’

‘You know Dzorwulu Special School is a special school with special needs, so special needs children are brought in here; And aside from that, they are part of the Ghana Education Service system, and we also have some of the staff of the school as members of TEWU-TUC,’ he said.

The TEWU of TUC-Ghana General Secretary noted. that ‘when God blesses you with goodies, it is good to share. For me, I think that is what motivated me to share with the less privileged.

‘So, anytime anybody is also having such a celebration, I will pray that we don’t just go and sit in a bar somewhere or in a restaurant somewhere, enjoying much. We should remember the less privileged in society and offer so
mething to them.’

When asked by Journalists what to do next after he takes a bow from public service and, for that matter, trade unionism, Mr Korankye,?

expressed his desire to offer consultancy services to the trade union fraternity.

He added, ‘Even though I have clocked 60, per the public service, you retire. But in the union movement, they say the longer, the better. I would normally have said maybe I will do one more term, but I feel that, having gone through the grace of God for my one term as General Secretary; I want to honourably sit back and? offer pieces of advice for the upcoming leadership so that the union will grow even stronger and be more meaningful and impactful in society.’

The management of Dzorwulu Special School expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the donation and thanked the staff of TEWU of TUC-Ghana as well as the family and friends of Mr Korankye, for being a source of motivation for him in

the discharge of his duties as the General Secretary of the union.?

Among the TEWU
of TUC-Ghana staff who witnessed the presentation were Mr Ambrose Kwadzodza, National Chairman, Charles Kofi Osei, Deputy General Secretary; Eric Bosompem Twum, Head of Administration; and King James Azortibah, Chief Finance.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Nurses and Midwifery Training College (NMTC) at Keta in the Volta Region has held its matriculation ceremony for a total of 644 new students for the 2023/2024 academic year.

Out of the total number, 200 were classified as Registered General Nursing students, 240 as Midwifery students, 200 as Public Health Nursing, and 4 as post-NAC/NAP Midwifery students for the academic year.

Mrs Mabel Kafui Torku, Principal of the College, in her speech during the colourful matriculation ceremony, stated that the exercise was to officially enroll the students into the system.

‘This is a formal process of entering the College as students since all of you have the required qualifications which made you eligible to enter this school to enable you to become good health workers,’ she said.

She further indicated that the ceremony also confirmed that the students had accepted and would abide by all rules and regulations of the College after they had sworn the various oaths.

She congratulated the fresh students for success
ful admission and urged them to take their studies seriously devoid of any negative acts.

‘This is the 17th matriculation ceremony we have done and we are happy the successes of the school keep increasing for the best through the hard work of the students, as well the teaching and non-teaching staff.’

Mrs Torku further urged the students to exhibit discipline, and humility to serve as the main pillars for acquiring the requisite training that would mould them to become the best to serve Mother Ghana.

She also appealed to all donor groups and individuals, and the government to address some of the challenges facing the school.

They include an inadequate dormitory for both students and tutors, insufficient tables and chairs, and computers, among others.

Some of the matriculants, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, expressed their excitement about the opportunity given to them.

They pledged to abide by the rules and regulations for a successful future.

The colourful ceremony, which was characterised by cul
tural performances by the School’s Cultural troupe, was attended by some dignitaries, including Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, MCE for Keta, Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpe and Mr Richard Kwame Sefe, MPs for Keta and Anloga respectively.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Agona East District Assembly has presented 12 bundles of roofing sheets and felt, and boxes of roofing nails to the Nsaba Presbyterian Senior High School to re-roof its 60-bed girls’ dormitory, which had its roof ripped off on Valentine’s Day.

At a ceremony to present the items, Mrs Janet Odei Paintsil, the Agona East District Chief Executive (DCE), said the Assembly received a distress call from the school authorities, informing it about the disaster and it acted promptly.

About 60 girls who were affected by the disaster had been relocated into an uncompleted dormitory built over 12 years ago in order not to disturb their studies.

The DCE said the Assembly attached great importance to girl-child education hence the quick intervention to present the sheets to the authorities to re-roof the dormitory.

The President Akufo-Addo-led Government, she noted, continued to prioritise girls’ education, hence the ability to give adequate resources for the upkeep of hundreds of thousands of students in secondary
schools.

The Assembly was also in the process of mobilising resources to procure roofing sheets and other materials to support two basic schools in the area, which were also severely hit, she said.

Mrs Paintsil, therefore, assured school managements in the district that the Assembly would continue to rally support for the provision of structures to promote quality education.

Mr Solomon Paintsil, the Agona East Director of NADMO, said its personnel relayed the distress call quickly to the DCE and her team and commended them for the swift response.

He said NADMO was not adequately resourced, making it difficult to extend assistance to all houses that collapsed or had their roofs ripped off.

He, therefore, appealled to the Government to adequately resource the National Disaster Management Organisation to help personnel assist disaster victims promptly.

Mr Mohammed Alhasan, the Agona East District Coordinating Director, told the media that the Assembly had to intervene as early as possible after the authori
ties sent an SOS (save our souls) to avert truncation of teaching and learning.

He urged the students to study hard to become prominent personalities and avoid bad friends, who could jeopardise their future and make them irresponsible adults in future.

Mrs Harriet Oduraah Idan-Sagoe, the Assistant Headmistress in charge of Domestic, who received the items on behalf of the the Headmaster, Rev Kenneth Osafo-Amankwa, commended the Assembly for the timely intervention.

She said the school authorities were highly impressed about the quick response and called on the Government to complete the girl’s dormitory, which had been neglected for many years.

She reiterated calls on the Assembly to help re-roof the tutors’ bungalows ripped off 12 years ago, adding that the situation had compelled the teachers to rent houses outside campus, negatively affecting teaching and supervision.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Sunyani Municipal ‘Adolescent Parliament’ has called on the government to expedite action for work to resume on the abandoned Bono Regional Library complex in Sunyani.

The Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), a media advocacy non-government organisation (NGO) inaugurated the ‘parliament’ under the Resilient City for Adolescents (RC4A) project it is implementing in the Municipality.

GloMeF is non-profit organisation, which specialises in the usage of social, and behaviour change communication, right and evidence-based research approaches to facilitate inclusive development programmes targeting young people, women, children and other vulnerable groups

in the society.

At its maiden parliamentary session held in Sunyani, the 23-member house expressed worry that work on the project, being funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had stalled and abandoned for years to continuously deteriorate.

The ‘Adolescent Parliament’ identifies and helps to tackle the pressing developmental needs of young people
in the Sunyani Municipality, and accordingly elected 19 parliamentarians from the

localities in the Municipality.

They lead the adolescent movement and give them a voice in the decision-making process, as part of the implementation of the RC4A project, expected to directly benefit 1,500 and indirectly reach out to 3000 boys and girls.

The Swiss Botnar Foundation under its Resilient City for Adolescents Initiative is funding the implementation of the 300,000-pound sterling project, which seeks to improve the lives of adolescents in the country.

After an extensive debate on the floor of ‘parliament’ both the majority and minority sides admitted the construction of the library was long overdue, and the government ought to expedite action for its resumption and completion for use.

Master Daniel Frimpong, the ‘Speaker’ of the ‘Adolescent Parliament’ and a student of the Abesim St James Seminary/Senior High School observed library played significant role in the lives of the adolescent, and thus described the s
ituation as unfortunate for the GETFund and successive

governments to leave it to rot.

‘In fact, all the stakeholders, including parents, the government, Ghana Library Authority, GETFund have failed us because the library plays an essential role in promoting literacy, accessing information and aids research work’, he stated.

‘We need the regional library to advance our learning and reading skills and it is imperative as it is for the government and all stakeholders to ensure that our educational needs as children and

adolescents are met to enhance our academic performance in school,’ the ‘Speaker’ stated.

Throwing more light on RC4A project, Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GloMeF noted though Ghana was the first country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child, many adolescent boys and girls were still denied some basic rights and privileges.

Besides, he indicated the African Union Conventions and Protocols on the Rights and Responsibility of
the Child as well as the Children Act required young people access to shelter, food, quality health and participation in decision-making.

Mr. Ahenu said it was therefore imperative for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to capture and address the needs of adolescent people in their four-year medium development plans.

‘The adolescent parliament is not geared towards inciting or instigating young people, but rather, to ensure their voices are heard in the decision-making process at the local levels,’ he stated.

Under the ‘Adolescent Parliament’, Mr Ahenu said the project was also empowering vulnerable adolescent boys and girls with employable skills training, career development and digital innovation programmes.

He said about 45 of them between 13 and 21 years would benefit from the digital innovation programme while 15 of them would also be enrolled in the skills training which covered dressing making, hairdressing, body makeups, manicure and pedicure.

Meanwhile, checks by the Ghana News
Agency (GNA) showed the construction of the Bono Regional Library was initiated in 2003, by the late Mr. Joseph Henry Mensah, the then Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East and under the former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s

government.

Further checks revealed work on that project, initially scheduled to be completed within 18 months, had been re-awarded to more than three different contractors.

The site is located near the Catering Rest House, covering an acre of land and on completion the 600-seater-capacity library would have children’s reference and lending libraries, information and communications technology centre, conference rooms and a secretariat.

During a visit, the GNA noticed the reading rooms of the two-storey uncompleted building had been completed and were serving as the main library.

But, it had limited space and broken glass doors, obsolete tables and chairs not convenient for children and adolescents.

A source at the Ghana Library Authority told the GNA that an assessment report
revealed more than GhC2.5 million was required to complete the project for use.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Mercy Inspire Dream Foundation Ghana (MIDFOG), a non-government organisation, has donated learning materials to some less privileged pupils at Yorogo Asorogubiisi Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region.

The package comprised 200 exercise books and 276 pencils, and was part of efforts to support needy pupils to stay in school and learn.

At a brief presentation ceremony, Ms Mercy Akane, the Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation, said the foundation was established by dedicated individuals who recognised the importance of addressing challenges and gaps in education and healthcare sectors to empower the vulnerable in society.

She indicated that the goal of the Foundation was to work with relevant stakeholders to contribute to appropriately respond to the pressing needs of underprivileged individuals in Ghana especially those in rural communities.

‘The mission of the Foundation is to provide educational, health care and empowerment opportunities to less privileged
individuals in Ghana. We aim to break the cycle of poverty and empower individuals to become agents of positive change in the Communities.

‘Our vision is a Ghana where every individual regardless of their background, has access to quality education, healthcare and empowerment opportunities to realise their dreams. We envision a society characterized by social justice, equality and human rights for all,’ he said.

She said the Foundation intended to donate more teaching and learning materials to pupils and students especially the less privileged students in rural communities and roll out educative programmes to help empower the youth to become agents of positive change in their communities.

Using herself as an example, she narrated the ordeal she faced in her educational journey.

Ms Akane encouraged the pupils to be determined and motivated to overcome obstacles and challenges to become valuable individuals in society.

Madam Emmanuella Adiita, the Headmistress of the school, thanked MIDFOG for the support
and benevolence shown to the pupils and noted that it would go a long way to relieve financial stress on the schoolchildren and their parents in procuring learning materials.

She encouraged the leadership of the Foundation to continue to undertake such philanthropic initiatives to help build communities and offer opportunities for needy children to be educated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms Emily Fertik, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Ghana, has encouraged Ghanaian students abroad to return home and contribute positively to national development.

She said the United States was happy to receive students from different parts of the world, however, trainees must return to their home countries and make an impact in various sectors.

Ms Emily Fertik made the call at the opening session of a leadership and academic panel discussion hosted in Accra on Thursday by the University of Ghana and Cornell University.

Presenting some statistics, she said the number of Ghanaian students studying both undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in the United States increased by 32 percent in 2023.

She said Ghana was ranked 23rd in the world in sending students to the United States, and 14th in the world in terms of graduate students studying in the United States.

Ms Emily Fertik said the United State was impressed with the high level of interest and the benefit students gain
ed from studying abroad, but educational collaborations were more effective when students returned to their home countries.

‘…When it works best is when you come back to Ghana. We want you, we love you. We welcome you throughout the United States, all 50 states…And then please come back and lead your countries…Come back and do what you need to do to make your dreams come true here in Ghana,’ she stated.

Stressing the importance of collaborations, Ms Fertik said the United States government would continue to invest in partnerships with Ghanaian universities by facilitating joint research, expand institutional capacity, and encourage innovation.

She also highlighted public-private partnerships in technology transfer and job creation, adding that such collaborations would impact lives and economies.

The dialogue was on the topic: ‘The Future of Collaboration: Global Higher Education and Making a Difference at Home and in the World’.

Prof. Gordon Awandare, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affair, Un
iversity of Ghana, highlighted the elements of effective academic collaborations, stressing mutual understanding, respect and trust.

The two-day forum focused on issues of public health and policy, climate change and adaptation, and other subjects, with panelists sharing perspectives on the need to establish long term international relationships.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tema Community 25 Zone of the Rotary Club has donated assorted items to the Kpone-Katamanso municipal office of the Complementary Education Agency (CEA).

The items that were to aid in the agency’s education activities included assorted reading materials, board markers, pens, pencils, and exercise books.

Mr Don Pomary, the Service Project Director of the Rotary Club, presented the items, and said the club aims to bring people together to help provide humanitarian services around the world as well as support adult literacy.

Mr Pomary said his outfit was committed to promoting integrity and advancing solutions to the world’s most persistent issues, which included the promotion of peace, supporting education, and protecting the environment, among others.

He said learners under the Complementary Education Agency’s programmes should take their academics seriously, stressing that education has no age limit.

Mr Zac Abrahams, the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Director of the Complementary Education Agency (CEA),
thanked the club for their kind gestures and pledged that the items would be used for the intended purpose.

Mr ?Abrahams urged the learners to take good care of the books to preserve them for the next batch of learners to also benefit.

He said in 2023, his outfit embarked on several community engagements with residents of Papa Y3 and Peace Land to educate them on the new mandates of the agency.

He added that CEA, in collaboration with CHRAJ, also educated the Bethlehem branch of the Ghana Hairdressers’ and Beauticians Association on its mandates and on conflict resolution.

He said the agency would organise some skills training in liquid and bar soap making for interested residents in the first half of this year.

The adult learners thanked the club and appealed for an information and communication centre to help them stay abreast in the technological world.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ada, says Ghanaians’ inability to maintain infrastructure, facilities and equipment procured with the taxpayers’ money is a bane to the country’s development.

‘Not only do we lack the desire to maintain state infrastructure and facilities, but we misuse such facilities and projects; thereby cutting short their expected lifespan,’ she said.

The lack of maintenance culture was a troubling attitude, which Ghanaians must do away with to fast-track development of the country, she said, and charged the public to make it their number one priority.

Madam Cudjoe, also the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, made the statement at the commissioning of a six-unit classroom block for the Kasseh Islamic Basic School in her constituency on Thursday.

She said the gesture was to ensure a serene environment for effective academic work.

She said no contribution came from the GETFund and that from foundation to finis
h nothing was given.

‘So, what I did as a Member of Parliament was to support the contractor with funding, whatever he needs it because I needed the work to be done on time,’ she said.

‘If I put the amount together, I can tell you what I have been able to loan the contractor, but I can’t speak about how much was the contract sum,’ she said.

Mr Alhassan A.M. Dabone, the Greater Accra Regional Manager, Islamic Education Unit, urged the school authorities to maintain the structure well without overpopulation to serve its intended purpose.

Madam Matilda Atsisey, the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Supervision, Ada East Education Directorate, commended the MP for the conducive environment to improve teaching and learning of the beneficiaries.

Mr Mohammed Mahduz, the Headteacher, said the Kasseh Islamic Basic School, with a population of 414 pupils, had had to struggle due to the lack of space since 2004 when the school was located at Kasseh Zongo.

‘We relocated to this new site in 2012 due to lack of space,
and today, we have been blessed with this edifice that will motivate the children to be interested in school for their academic progression,’ he said.

Mr Mahfuz commended the MP for the good cause worth emulating by her colleagues and said the block would encourage education in the constituency.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A training for technical universities and other higher educational institutions has opened at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region to empower the universities to streamline their operations to attract foreign students.

Dubbed: ‘The 2023/24 National Multiplication Training’ it is being hosted by four senior faculty members from four universities with a grant from the German Academic Exchanges Service (DAAD).

The faculty members are Dr Vida Korang of the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG), Dr Sewoenam Chachu, University of Ghana, Professor Anthony Amoah, University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), and Prof. Joseph Adjei, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

The four-day training, on the theme: ‘Effective Internalisation Strategies in Technical Universities,’ seeks to equip the participants with knowledge on emerging global trends and discuss with peers and experts on strategies to ensure they followed the required standards to enhance enrol
ment of foreign students.

Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, the Vice-Chancellor, Sunyani Technical University (STU), at the opening session, said technical universities in Ghana were doing quite well and making efforts to uplift their strategies.

However, the training had come at an opportune time when those universities and other higher educational institutions in the country were struggling to survive the post COVID-19 impact, he said.

Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah said the STU had devised strategies to overcome such challenges, which included collaborating with other universities to train staff and faculty and work with international researchers to open more avenues for the admission of foreign students.

He commended the immense contributions of the German Government through the DAAD to improve university education in the country. Prof. Daniel Obeng-Ofori, the VC of the Catholic University of Ghana, expressed optimism that the training would transform universities regarding internalisation alongside enhancing and
promoting research.

He said the training would provide the opportunity for networking, which remained critical for national research, and entreated the participants to build connections that would translate into exchange programmes for students and staff and enrich the curricula.

Prof. Peter Mayer, a Professor of International Economics at the University of Applied Sciences, Osnabruck, Germany is facilitating the training.

Dr Vida Korang, a Senior Lecturer at the CUG and the Project Team Lead, told the Ghana News Agency that the training would promote the development of technical universities and other higher institutions of learning.

Source: Ghana News Agency