Education

Source: tntnewspapergh.com

The leadership of Teacher Unions at the Pre-tertiary level of education in the country have unanimously agreed to suspend its intended demonstration scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) in the Greater Accra region.
The suspension of the demonstration follows hours of meeting with the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the leadership of the Ghana Education Service and the leaders of the Teacher Unions in Accra on Monday.

Dr.Osei Yaw Adutwum Education Minister
After listening to the leadership of the Unions, the Education Minister explained to them the state of the various issues that have led to the Union’s decision to embark on a demonstration.
On the issue of the payment of allowances for teachers in deprived areas, the Minister made available documents from his Ministry to the Ministry of Finance preparing to effect the payment following the validation of data from the Ghana Education Service (GES).

The Education Minister also informed the Unions to them that, the government had fulfilled its promise by increasing by 100 per cent the Professional Development Allowance (PDA) and also effecting the payment in September.

Present at the meeting were the leaders of the Teachers Unions, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of +Concern Teachers (CCT-GH and management of the Ghana Education Service.

Leadership of the Unions urged their members to stay away from the said demonstration since their issues were being addressed to their satisfaction.

 

Source: tntnewspapergh.com

The leadership of the National Service Personnel Association last Friday held a very successful election in Koforidua to elect new leaders.
The election brought together all sixty regional executives of the National Service Personnel Association and various stakeholders.

Among other issues, the congress aimed to address pressing issues in the National Service sector through meaningful discussions, idea-sharing, exploring innovative solutions and electing new executives for the 2024-25 service year.

The newly elected executives include Mr Amuaku Andy as National President, Justice Tetteh as the General Secretary, Reuben Nketiah as Financial Secretary, Ibrahim Arafat as Organizing Secretary and Christabel Seyram Agbley as Women’s Commissioner.

The successful NASPA national election marks a significant milestone in the association’s history due to its critical role and expectations from those elected in the annals of NASPA.

In his appreciation remarks, Mr. Amuaku Andy as National President, expressed his gratitude to the members for electing him to lead them.
He also praised the Director-General of the National Service Authority Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, for his commitment to the association and those who have the activities of NASPA at heart.
The President pledged to work hard to bring about development among the personnel and the nation as a whole.

It is hoped that the newly elected executives will effectively represent the interests and wills of the members, paving the way for a brighter future for NASPA, especially in times when most student elections have failed to be successful, specifically the USAG and NUGS congresses which have been taken to emergency after several controversies preventing the election of new executives.

 

By:Isaac Amoah/tntnewspapergh.com

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, has heaped praises on MTN Ghana Foundation for its unwavering commitment to the provision of quality education in the country.

According to the Minister, MTN Foundation’s commitment and investment in education is unmatched in the telecommunication industry. He, therefore, urged other companies to emulate MTN’s lead in investment in education in line with the government private partnership in the provision of quality education to all.

The Minister made the remarks in a speech delivered on his behalf by Mr. Abraham Kwame Antwi, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Oforikrom, on Friday, 20th September 2024, at the Faculty of Law, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) during the second batch of this year’s MTN Bright Scholarship awards.

Some scenes from the event

Mr. Osei-Mensah encouraged MTN Ghana Foundation not to relent in its efforts in supporting the provision of education, especially for the underprivileged in the Ghanaian society.

He also used the opportunity to advise the awardees to take their studies seriously to justify the investment made in them.

The MTN Bright Scholarship is a flagship initiative by MTN Ghana Foundation aimed at easing the financial burden on brilliant and needy students. The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, provision of semesterly stipends, and a laptop.

Some of the awardees displaying the items given to them.

On his part, Dr. Gordon Sabotey, a member of the MTN Bright Scholarship panel, revealed that
they received more than 1,500 applications. They shortlisted 400 applications for interviews and finally selected 200 for this year’s awards.

The panel member disclosed that the first batch of 100 awardees were given their awards in Accra, while the second batch of the remaining 100 beneficiaries received theirs in Kumasi.

He said to ensure fair representation, the panel considered all the public universities across the 16 regions, gender and persons with disabilities, among other factors, in the selection process.

Mr. Kuzoe Robert, Senior Manager of MTN Foundation, in an interview with the media, explained that the scholarship considered students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses.

According to him, out of 200 awardees this year, 20 awardees were persons with disabilities.

Mr. Kuzoe disclosed that since the inception of MTN Foundation Bright Scholarship awards, 520 students across the 16 regions had benefited.

The Senior Manager said the foundation would continue to invest in education because the power of education to national development cannot be underestimated.

He said despite the benefits of education, many still find it difficult to continue their education due to financial difficulties. He cited many studies to buttress his points and gave an assurance that MTN Ghana Foundation would continue to support in that direction to help lessen the financial burden on students and their parents.

Mr. Kuzoe said MTN Bright Scholarship was instituted in 2018 with the initial target to award 100 students annually, but due to the high numbers of applicants year in year out, they decided to expand it to the current coverage of 200 students annually.

He said the scholarship was designed for year one undergraduate students and continuing students at any public higher institution in Ghana.

The MTN Ghana Scholarship covers the cost of tuition, accommodation, research devices and stipends for reading materials.

A number of the awardees couldn’t hide their excitement and praises to MTN Ghana Foundation. They described MTN Ghana Foundation Bright Scholarship award as a God-sent.

They commended the leadership of the foundation for the laudable intervention and prayed for the continued growth of the company in order for it to do more for the needy.

 

By:Frank Antwi Boasiakoh

The recent arrests of four Ghanaian students for allegedly falsifying transcripts to gain admission to Lehigh University reveal a pressing issue within our education system that requires immediate attention. This incident highlights a long-standing failure in the record-keeping practices of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

For years, there has been a significant gap in how we track students’ academic journeys. While there once existed a cumulative record card system, it has largely fallen out of use, with schools rarely completing these records each term.

This has left many students vulnerable when seeking admission to foreign tertiary institutions, which require accurate and verifiable transcripts. In the absence of reliable records, some students feel compelled to fabricate documents to meet these requirements.

 

It’s crucial to recognize that this issue is not solely the fault of individual schools. In Ghana, the transition to tertiary institutions is primarily based on WASSCE results, leading to a lack of emphasis on maintaining comprehensive academic records. This neglect creates an environment where legitimate transcripts are virtually non-existent, pushing desperate students toward unethical solutions.

To address this pressing issue, I urge the Ghana Education Service to take decisive action in establishing a robust electronic database for tracking student records. Such a system would ensure that all schools maintain accurate academic records, enabling them to provide legitimate transcripts when needed. By standardizing record-keeping practices, the GES can foster transparency and accountability in our educational institutions.

It is time for the Ghana Education Service to prioritize the development of a comprehensive database

This initiative will protect the integrity of our education system and empower students to pursue opportunities abroad without compromising their ethics. We must work together to eliminate the desperation that drives students to take unethical actions and instead provide them with the support they need to succeed.

 

 

Minister for Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has strongly indicated that Ghana will have a virtual high school from the start of the next academic year.
According to him, an initial 10,000 students nationwide will be enrolled in the Virtual Senior High School(SHS).
He made this known during the launch of the Ghana Knowledge and Skills Bank Portal on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 by the Ministry of Communications in partnership with the Education Ministry.
Dr Yaw Adutwum explained that the virtual High School to begin next academic year is part of the transformation that the New Patriotic Party(NPP), under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, intends for the education sector.
He explained that the virtual High School will be hosted on the Skills and Knowledge Bank Portal where students will be taken through their studies via the platform built with content from the approved curriculum.

Dr.Osei Yaw Adutwum,Education Minister
The Minister disclosed that Ghana is collaborating with the Open University in the United Kingdom to build virtual labs which will be used by students enrolled in the Ghana Virtual High School.
“This also going to allow us to do the first-ever Ghana Virtual High School. It seeks to enroll about 10,000 students and the students are going to learn virtually. We are also with the support of the UK Open University building virtual labs.
So you can dissect a frog virtually. So you can’t say I went to a school without the 21st science lab; I couldn’t do science. You do your science virtually, and that is the new Ghana. In fact, some of the virtual labs that were developed were used in the UK but were developed by Ghanaian teachers.” he disclosed.
So at the end of the day, the digitalisation of education offers our nation a new opportunity. There is going to be a paradigm shift of major proportions and I think when we embrace it well and begin to look at what is possible, we can create a better education system. A system that we never thought we would have.
10 years ago we never thought there would be this, Ghana Knowledge Bank, second to what we’ve seen in Egypt and I think with the Ai Infusion, I think we are even getting ahead and we are going to create the best learning portal,” he said.
Mpuntu Technologies, a wholly Ghanaian-owned company built the portal with support from Telecommunication giant MTN and funding from the World Bank.
The Knowledge and Skills portal grants access to over 5 million online library archives, learning resources and tools for both students and researchers and comes in several other languages with an option for a personal teacher.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH

 

Management of the Sunyani Technical University (STU) has categorically denied a claim in some sections of the media that the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Justice Solomon Korantwi-Barimah’s PhD is ‘fake.’

“We categorically deny this unfounded claim and urge the general public to disregard any such malicious publications”, the University stated in a Press Release issued in response to a publication titled “STU Pro-VC Sued For ‘Fake’ PhD” and published in an Accra-based tabloid, the Daily Guide, on September 9, 2024, and further published by dailyguidenetwork.com and some other online portals subsequently.

STU Management is therefore asking all those spreading this falsehood to desist from further spreading the disinformation and character assassination in their own interest.

According to the press release, “this baseless allegation that Professor Korantwi-Barimah possesses a ‘fake PhD’ is not only defamatory but also a calculated attempt to tarnish the hard-won reputation of the Pro-Vice Chancellor and the STU.”

It further explained that STU sponsored Professor Korantwi-Barimah to pursue a Doctoral Degree at the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa, where he obtained a Doctor of Technology Degree (D-Tech) in Human Resource Management through rigorous academic training that meets international standards.

“Subsequently, this academic qualification was evaluated and confirmed by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) as comparable to a Doctoral Degree awarded by any recognized tertiary institution in Ghana”, the press release said.

STU Management also explained that it is provided in the Scheme of Service for staff of Technical Universities in Ghana that, “an applicant for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor must have a terminal degree (PhD) or its equivalent …”, adding that it was based on this clause, among other requirements, that the Pro-VC was promoted to Professorial status.

The release said the false narrative being spread in the media is not only an affront to the Pro-VC but also an attack on the integrity of STU and its leadership.

Background
The Daily Guide and some other media platforms had earlier reported on a suit at the Commercial High Court in Sunyani where an old student of STU, Charles Addo Odokyi, had sued the Pro-VC for “academic dishonesty.”
The plaintiff, according to the publication, is seeking among other reliefs, an injunction against the defendant from holding himself as a PhD holder, and further prevent him from carrying himself as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university.

Joined to the suit are Dr. Agyeman Boakye, the Council Chairman for STU and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in Accra, the supervising agency of technical universities.

GTEC is joined to the suit for alleged failure in its oversight responsibility of the STU by failing to hold the university to account to its (GTEC) harmonised statutes, thereby allowing Korantwi-Barimah to engage in academic dishonesty for the period he held himself as a professor and acted as Pro-VC and substantive Pro-VC of the university.

The suit, filed on August 29, 2024, was heard on September 5, 2024, but adjourned to October 26, 2024.

According to the suit, ‘Dr’ Justice Solomon Korantwi-Barimah was awarded a degree of Doctor Technologiae in Human Resource Management by Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa and evaluated by the GTEC to be comparable to a doctoral degree in a relevant subject area awarded by any recognised tertiary education institution in Ghana.

The plaintiff contended that the above qualification is different from and not equal to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is part of harmonised statutes requirements by the GTEC to become a professor or associate professor to enable one to act as a Pro Vice-Chancellor or a Vice Chancellor of a technical university in Ghana, in this case the Sunyani Technical University.

Media contact:
Prof. Samuel Asuamah Yeboah, a Senior Lecturer of STU
Mobile +233 24 472 3071

By: Felix Baidoo

The German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull, has praised the Ghanaian government for increasing its budget expenditure on education in the country.

He particularly praised the bold implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy, noting that the substantial investment in this initiative positions Ghana as a leader in educational development on the continent.

Mr Krull made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the two-day Ghana International Education Exhibition and Idea Factory (Educata24) held in Accra on Monday.
The event was attended by key stakeholders in Ghana’s education sector, including TVET advocacy groups, representatives from the German Industry and Commerce in Ghana, the Commission for TVET Ghana, Ghana TVET Service, and various international institutions involved in the TVET sector.

Some scenes from the event
The exhibition, themed “Hands-on Learning for Career and Business Success,” attracted hundreds of Ghanaian youths seeking employment opportunities and avenues to build their skills.

Mr Krull highlighted the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and praised Ghana’s Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, for his efforts to improve access to STEM education and revitalize TVET in the country.

The ambassador emphasized that for Ghana to remain competitive within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there is a need to enhance the skill sets of the youth to ensure productivity and employability.
“For Africans to become competitive with the African Free Trade Area, a more highly qualified workforce is essential,” Mr Krull stated.

He also pledged the German government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Ghana, underlining the importance of advanced teaching practices and experiences.

The Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum expressed his gratitude to the German government for its support, particularly in the TVET sector, which has received considerable technical assistance from Germany.
He acknowledged the positive impact of the current state of education in Ghana and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that taxpayers continue to see the benefits of their contributions.

Dr. Adutwum further explained that the substantial investment made by the government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is yielding results, alleviating the burden many parents previously faced in educating their children at the pre-tertiary level.

He also reminded Ghanaians of the importance of retaining the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power to continue the ongoing educational reforms.

The Education Minister and the German Ambassador, along with other dignitaries, toured the exhibition booths, showcasing support services from educational institutions and technology providers to empower the Ghanaian youth.

By:Felix Baidoo

The Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, has hinted at plans to review the GTEC policy to match the current state of tertiary education in the country.

He indicated that although the current policy was good, there was a need to look ahead by updating the current policy to get the best for the nation, Ghana.

Prof. Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor

Prof. Jinapor announced this in his closing remarks at the end of the maiden Summer School for stakeholders in the tertiary education space held in Kumasi.

The event brought together about 500 participants from colleges of education, traditional universities, technical universities, private operators in the tertiary education space, GTEC, colleges of agriculture, and nursing and midwifery training institutions.

He announced that a seven-member team led by Mr John Dadzie, Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the GTEC and other consultants have been tasked to work on the review of the current GTEC policy.
The DG also spoke of the need to develop a GTEC policy manual that would help all stakeholders in the tertiary space to operate effectively in the country.
Peaceful co-existence

He said, “There is a need to promote perfection in our space. The space in which we operate is like a compound house where peaceful and trusting relationships should be built and maintained between the regulator and the regulated”.

The DG stated that the summer school was going to be an annual event, adding that it would be rotating from one region/institution to another, preferably in a typical university setting, which has the capacity tohost the programme.

Prof. Jinapor announced that an orientation programme for Council members will be organized for council members to throw light ontheir roles and responsibilities to help them operate effectively within the space.

He hinted that a national tertiary education conference is be organized in October to deliberate on how strategic partnership between the different stakeholders in the tertiary educational delivery architecture can effectively and efficiently be harnessed with emphasis on industry-academia synergy.

The October conference, the brainchild of the DG of GTEC would create a good platform to bond and strengthen the already existing relationship between the stakeholders in the tertiary education space.

The DG of GTEC indicated that “we can only perfect the tertiary education space by doing what we do well” since that sector was not an avenue for try and error because of the critical role it played in the socio-economic development of the country.

He charged the stakeholders to build a harmonious space, which is essential for promoting growth, quality, and productivity, assuring them that GTEC was going to continue to develop a harmonious relationship with them all to promote their operations towards development in the sector.

PRESS RELEASE

N

The Management of the National Service Authority is pleased to announce the official release of postings for 106,223 national service personnel as of today, September 6, 2024, to undertake their mandatory national service for the 2024/2025 service year. A subsequent mop-up exercise will be conducted for any remaining unassigned personnel.

These personnel include the 2024 batch of Ghanaian graduates from all accredited universities in the country, Ghanaians who have completed studies abroad, defaulters, and private applicants who registered for their national service.

All deployed service personnel are required to follow the validation and registration process as outlined below:

Check Placement: Log onto the Authority’s website at www.nss.gov.gh to check for placement.
Print Appointment Letter: Print the appointment letter and proceed to the place of posting for endorsement of the appointment letter.

Hon.Osei Assibey Antwi, Executive Director
Book Appointment for Registration: Book an appointment online for the date and time for registration after the endorsement.
Complete Registration: Proceed to the assigned Regional Validation and Registration Centre with an endorsed appointment letter and a valid Ghana Card to complete the process.

Validation and registration at all the regional centres across the country will begin on Thursday, September 12, 2024, and close on Monday, September 30, 2024.

The 2024/2025 National Service begins on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

The Authority further reminds all deployed personnel that reposting is not permitted and urges all national service personnel to embrace their postings as a vital part of their responsibilities and contributions to national development.

Management extends its best wishes to all service personnel for a successful and fulfilling service year.

Thank you.

Signed

Osei Assibey Antwi