Gov’t’s bold reforms aim to restore confidence in the education system – Dr. Apaak

The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has stated that the government’s bold reforms being rolled out aim to restore confidence in Ghana’s education system.

Dr. Apaak disclosed this while speaking at 5th Congregation of the St. Vincent College of Education, Yendi, on behalf of the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.

The event was under the theme: “Addressing the Falling Standards of Education in Ghana: The Role of Colleges of Education”.

“Education is the foundation upon which our national development rests. Yet, we cannot shy away from the concerns that many have raised about falling standards in our schools. Challenges such as inadequate teaching resources, poor supervision, and, sometimes, low morale among teachers have contributed to this perception.

“At the centre of addressing these challenges, however, lies the role of Colleges of Education. It is here, in institutions like St. Vincent College of Education, that we must train and nurture the next generation of teachers who can restore confidence in our education system”, Dr. Clement Apaak stated.

He continued: “That is why the government has undertaken bold reforms in teacher education, including the transition to the Bachelor of Education curriculum, the strengthening of the National Teaching Council’s regulatory role, and the promotion of Continuous Professional Development. These measures are aimed at raising teacher professionalism and ensuring that our classrooms are led by well-prepared educators.”

According to him, the role of Colleges of Education in addressing the challenge of falling standards is very critical because it all starts with the teacher.

“One area which has been of great concern to the Ministry of Education is the quality of teachers churned out by our colleges as evident in results issued by the National Teaching Council (NTC) in previous Teacher Licensure Exams.

“The abysmal performance of some teachers raises questions about how people are selected to enter the Colleges of Education and what the Colleges do to ensure that those who they graduate meet the minimum performance benchmark. It is in addressing this challenge that the Ministry set up the Alorvi Committee to review the mode of licensing teachers to ensure that the College’s play a direct role in the professional licensing process and assure that  only capable trained teachers are graduated from our colleges.”