The Board and Management of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) are informing all Ghanaians of the commencement of this year’s May/June Certificate II exams for TVET students nationwide.
A total of 52,133 candidates are writing the examinations which started on 1st July and will end on 2nd August 2024.
Out of the number, 37,558 are male, whilst 14,575 are female who are writing the exams which is repeating the serialization of questions introduced last year to prevent cheating during the exams
This was carried out in a press release dated 28th June and signed by Albert Opare, Head of Cooperate Affairs, CTVET.
Some of the areas being examined are Certificate II, Erstwhile NVTI Certificate II, and other Technical Examinations such as Technician Part I, Technician Part II and Technician Part 3, Diploma, Diploma in Business Studies (DBS) and Advanced level examinations.
The release indicated that CTVET has been working towards improving TVET assessment through a national quality assurance system which accredits training providers, facilitators, assessors, and internal verifiers to deliver and assess competency-based training programmes.
Again, the release was hopeful that the students would achieve success to progress on the academic ladder or enter the world of work.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has incurred the wrath of Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and some NPP members in the Ashanti Region for rubbishing the reported choice of Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as running mate of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the December 7 elections.
On Accra-based Joy FM on Thursday, June 27, 2024, Mr Appiah-Kubi launched into a furious tirade against Dr Opoku Prempeh a.k.a. Napo, and also virtually criticized Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for selecting the Manhyia South MP as his running mate. “I wouldn’t speak to a majority because we have not been consulted as a caucus for us to state our position. But for me Appiah-Kubi, you can solicit my view on that. If it were up to me to choose, I wouldn’t choose him ( Napo). He is not my preference,” the Asante Akim North MP said angrily.
Andy Appiah-Kubi
Majority Leader disappointed in Appiah-Kubi
Expressing his disappointment with the outburst of the Asante Akim North MP, Mr Afenyo-Markin told reporters in Parliament House on Thursday June 27 that, as Majority MPs, they all know how running mates are chosen in the party. “We should all respect party rules.You cannot go out of your way to describe your colleague unacceptably,” he charged.
He, therefore urged his colleague Asante Akim North MP to be measured in his language especially, in public.
“We are in this together. There is no perfect person in this world. Let us be measured in the language we use. The flagbearer has the confidence of the party and I believe he will use the structures of the party in making his decisions,” he stated.
Call Appiah-Kubi to order
The MP’s vituperative comments had also irked a group calling itself Concerned NPP Members in the Ashanti Region, who have called for immediate action against him.
The group called on the leadership of the NPP parliamentary Majority and the national leadership of the party to call him to order. They said typical of the Asante Akim North MP, he showed gross disrespect not only to Napo, but worst of all, to the President, the Vice President, and the party at large.
They accused Mr Appiah-Kubi of allegedly working for Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who obviously is not happy about Napo’s selection and has allegedly set out a plot to discredit the Energy Minister after it emerged that Dr Bawumia has presented his (Napo’s) name to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as his choice of running mate.
Excellent choice
The Concerned Ashanti NPP members described Napo as an excellent choice who has the capability not only to support the flagbearer and the party to win resounding victories in the presidential and parliamentary elections but also become an excellent Vice President.
Taking a look into history, the Concerned NPP members said when then candidate Akufo-Addo chose Dr Bawumia as his running mate, some party people rose against it but at the end of the day, he proved the critics wrong by being a major architect in the victories of 2016 and 2020, and also becoming an exceptionally excellent Vice President.
The group therefore, urged the party to take a serious view on the Asante Akim North MP’s outburst to stop him from derailing the agenda to break the 8.
Huawei Ghana Ltd and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Ghana have presented assorted IT equipment to the Education Ministry towards the Technology Enabled School System for all TeOSS) in Ghana at a special ceremony in Accra.
The donated items are for equipping 10 public Basic Schools with the relevant ICT equipment to enhance the capacity of teachers and learners in digital skills and ultimately improve the learning outcomes
The items include a multimedia interactive smart board, 28 tablets, 28 tablet screens protectors/covers, a charging trolley, a smart UPS, data for six (6) months a router, a Wi-fi repeater, an iBox, 2 extension cables per school whereas the Akropong School for the blind will receive 40 headphones sets and JAWS software.
Appreciation to donors
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Accra, the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, was full of praise to Huawei Ghana and UNESCO for the support which would go a long way to enhance effective teaching and learning in the selected schools.
He was particularly happy that e-learning was being extended to some Public Basic schools in the remote part of the country.
Dr.Osei Yaw Adutwum receiving the items
Dr Adutwum said, “We are gradually making our high schools IT learning hub, which is already digitalized and extending this to the JHS”.
“Everything is being digitalized in Ghana and I thank President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the digitalisation agenda that has reached our education institutions”. He added.
The Education Minister was also happy with the selection of the schools as it was helping in bridging the digital divide, as some of the chosen communities did not initially have access to the internet but would be assisted through this project to get it.
Deepen Collaboration
Dr Adutwum stated, “We are grateful for the improvement you are bringing into the Ghanaian technological space and now to our education space. I pledge to work with you and UNSECO for your regular support to the Ministry.
“We are transforming the nation’s education space and I am appealing to Huawei to help build the first Virtual High School in Ghana”. He said.
The Education Minister indicated that the equipment will help students, especially from remote communities to learn or study online instead of going into the brick-and-mortar high schools so they could also get high-quality education irrespective of their location.
The UNESCO Country Director, Mr Edward Moukala N’Gouemo, was happy with the state of education development in the country and pledged to do more towards enhancing education development in the country.
He explained that the donation which was gift from Huawei was to complement the government’s effort to provide the right resources towards effective teaching and learning in schools.
The Country Director mentioned that after successful piloting in the selected 10 regions, the project would be scaled up to other regions in the country
The beneficiary are the Eastern, Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, Upper East and Upper West, Savanna, Volta, Central and Western regions.
Background
The TeOSS is to create a resilient and inclusive education system using technology. The overall goal of the project is to enhance learning outcomes and promote the acquisition of 21st-century skills in basic schools through the use of ICT by educators and students
Each pilot school will be provided with the necessary ICT equipment as a step towards empowering educators and learners to thrive in a digital world.
The 2024 MTN Y’elloCare initiative is becoming even more exciting. MTN Ghana employees, alongside their partners, are offering digital literacy lessons to selected senior high schools across the country.
The students are learning about artificial intelligence and robotics and how these technologies can be applied in their studies and daily lives. They are also being introduced to the Ghana Knowledge and Skills Cloud-Based Platform (GKSB), which serves as a repository of educational resources and training materials for teachers and students.
One of the partners taking students through Robotics-
The platform provides students with reading materials, including past questions. The technology programs are being handled in collaboration with Coral Reef Innovation Hub, Npontuo, Duapa Workspace, Eastern Hub, and Nude 8.
David Narh, Digital Channels Manager taking students of Aburi Presbyterian Secondary Technical School through Robotics
In total, 25 senior high schools will benefit from this Y’ello Care initiative across the country. The schools include Aburi Presbyterian Secondary Technical School, Eastern region, Church of Christ SHS, Ashanti region, Konadu Yiadom Catholic SHS, Ashanti region, Sunyani SHS, Bono region, Bechem SHS, Ahafo region, Ahafoman SHS, Ahafo region,St Francis SHS, Bono East region, Kintampo SHS, Bono East region,Kalpohini SHS, Northern region, Diabene SHS Western region, SefwiWiawso SHS, Western North region, Academy of Christ the King, Central region, St. Paul’s Technical School and Akyem Asafo SHSin the Eastern region among others.
Efua Falconer Corporate Communications Manager interacting with students of Aburi Presbyterian Secondary Technical School on digital literacy
Commenting on digital training, Adwoa Wiafe, the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, said, “through these initiatives, we are supporting efforts being made to make educational material more accessible to students. Our objective is to bridge the digital gap and help improve educational outcomes by leveraging technology for teaching and learning”.
MTN staff volunteer engaging with students of Christ the King SHS in the Ashanti region.
This year’s Y’ello Care theme is “Education for Rural and Remote Communities – Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow.” MTN Ghana employee volunteers are working on projects to narrow the educational gap in underserved and unserved communities across the country.
MTN Y’ello Care is an annual employee volunteerism program across the MTN Group, allowing staff to participate in community development projects in countries where MTN operates. The initiative, which was started in 2007, has had a significant impact on millions of people and hundreds of communities across the continent.
The 21 Days of Y’ello Care programme takes place in June every year. However, this year, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of MTN’s operations, the 21 Days of Y’ello Care has been extended to 30 Days.
Media Contacts:Adwoa Wiafe ,Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer,Georgina Asare FiagbenuCorporate Communications Senior Manager,Email: MTNGhana.MediaOffice@mtn.com
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has held an awards ceremony for winners of its “KMA-Horesd Inter-schools Waste Segregation and Recycling Challenge” which was launched on 9th April 2024.
The ceremony took place on Tuesday, 25th June 2024, at the Prempeh Assembly Hall.
The schools that participated in the maiden competition comprised Amankwatia Primary A & B (Subin sub-Metro), Fankyenebra Primary A & B (Nhyiaeso sub-Metro), Bantama Presby Primary A & B (Bantama sub-Metro), St. Joseph Primary A & B (Manhyia South sub-Metro), and Buokrom M/A Primary A & B (Manhyia North sub-Metro).
Some scenes from the awards ceremony
Award categories and winners
BEST SHEP COORDINATOR – Theresah Adwoa Adomako (Amankwatia Primary A)
Award: Laptop
BEST HEAD TEACHER – Mavis Horsu (St. Joseph Primary)
Award: Laptop
BEST TEAMWORK AMONG TEACHERS – Buokrom Primary B
Award: Refrigerator
BEST SCHOOL – Amankwatia Primary B
Award: A cheque of €3,000.
About 80 best pupils received a branded horesd school bag each, while the best classes received five packs of branded exercise books.
The Mayor of KMA, Mr. Sam Pyne, expressed his profound gratitude to the enthusiasm exuded by the pupils of the participating schools.
He also commended the teachers and their partners for the project.
Mr. Pyne indicated that the competition was not going to be a nine-day wonder, but rather it would be continued and even extended to cover more schools and children in order to help cultivate the habit of proper waste management.
According to him, KMA believes everything is well taught when it is done at the basic level, just as the Bible says, “Teach the child the way it should go so that when it is old, it will not go away from it.”
He added that KMA was working to instil proper waste collection skills in children in basic schools who are the future leaders of the metropolis.
In attendance were Francisco Carvalho, President of the City County of Praia; H.E. Mrs. Paqui Momparler, President of MANRA; Hon. Samuel Pyne, Mayor of Kumasi; Mr. Francis Dwira Darko, MCD-KMA; Helder Moriera, International Project Coordinator and Mr. Victor Rey, Communication Manager-MANRA.
The leader of the Movement for Change, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen says there must be a comprehensive review of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
According to him, the Free SHS is a good policy and has enhanced access to education for many people.
Alan Kyerematen
Speaking on JoyNews on June 25, Mr Kyerematen stated that he has a criteria by which the Free SHS would be reviewed.
“After 7 years, almost 8 years, a national programme of this nature must undergo a comprehensive review. One of the first things I will do is to undertake a comprehensive review. Not just reviewing it for the sake of reviewing it. I have indicated the criteria for the review.”
“Financial sustainability. Is it financially sustainable? Number two, what are the infrastructural requirements that can sustain the free SHS.”
According to Mr Kyerematen, the Free SHS is a good idea but if the financial implications are not analysed, it will fail.
“If you don’t analyse the financial implications, the infrastructure requirements, the curriculum requirements, even analysing what to do with the graduates of Free SHS. We cannot have a situation where, if you produce people, you cannot guarantee them a job.”
“Let us as a country undertake this comprehensive review. The policy itself is a good one to enhance enrollment. But the implementation and the operationalisation of it has to be reviewed,” he said.
According to him, after the Free SHS policy has been reviewed, a decision can be made on how to structure it carefully.
He stated that, if the Free SHS policy is going to be maintained, there should be a framework governing the operationalisation.
“At that point, we have had a very comprehensive look at the policy and then we can as a people decide that, now that we know how to operationalize it, we can then legislate on it so it becomes a permanent future.”
Ms Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Global Disability Adviser, World Bank Group, says the bank is committed to ensuring that funding for education is disability-inclusive.
“I have an interest in disability education because the Bank has supported work in Ghana around inclusive education,” she said.
Ms McClain-Nhlapo said this when she visited the Demonstration School for the Deaf in Mampong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region.
“My visit to the school was to be sure that we understood the lived reality of the people that we were supporting.
“It’s been very enlightening to meet with the staff and students of the school and see how best we can continue to support inclusive education in Ghana,” she said.
Ms McClain-Nhlapo said the Ghana sign language dictionaries were translated with funding from the World Bank into videos that would make them more accessible.
She commended the school for putting in place a Hearing and Speech Diagnostic Assessment Centre and said the structure was at a basic level, and they needed modern facilities to do proper screening for placement of learners with disabilities.
The Global Disability Adviser tasked the school with undertaking a comprehensive budget for the facilities and channelled them to the Ministry of Education for the necessary action.
Mr Setumte Ametewee, Principal,
Demonstration School for the Deaf, said the school was established in 1967 and currently has a total population of 531 students, both boarders and day, from kindergarten to Senior High and Technical level.
He commended the government for absorbing all special schools into the Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).
GALOP is a project funded by the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, and the Education Outcomes Fund.
The project objective is to improve the quality of education in low-performing basic education schools and strengthen education sector equity and accountability in Ghana.
Under the GALOP initiative, teachers were trained in differentiated learning and targeted instruction, which included teaching children reading and numeracy skills and the preparation of teacher-learning materials.
The Principal of the School described the GALOP initiative as useful because it had boosted the performance of the students, culminating in a pass rate of 77 per cent during the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination.
He appealed for more funding for special schools across the country due to their peculiar situation to aid effective teaching and learning.
The government through the Student Loan Trust Fund, (SLTF) on Friday released an amount of GHS20 million for the payment of Loans to students in various private and public tertiary institutions across the country.
The amount is expected to benefit 10,243 students who have applied for student loans to finance their education.
Mr Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SLTF, who disclosed this to the media on Friday explained that cumulatively, the trust fund has disbursed about GHS58 million to 54,658 students for the 2023/24 academic year of which 27 million out of it was also paid to about 68,000 teacher trainees as allowance within the same period.
Assurance
He assured all students that the government through the Education Ministry and the SLTF will continue to prioritize their needs to enhance their studies.
The CEO indicated that the payment was to help all the students register and write their examinations.
Mr Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama
Mr Mahama also mentioned that the government in May, released funds for the settlement of outstanding student loans and teacher training allowances.
He stated that since the introduction of the No Guarantor Policy two years ago, the demand for student loans has increased drastically due to the removal of the burden students used to face with getting people to guarantee their loans.
Each beneficiary student is expected to receive between a minimum of GHS1500 and a maximum of GHS 3000 depending on the needs of the students.
Background
One major challenge that confronted many tertiary students in the country in the past decades was how to get people to guarantee them access to student loans.
It was based on this that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government launched the No Guarantor policy in June 2022 to ease the burden of tertiary students.
END
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder that affects millions of women worldwide and also a major cause of infertility in women.
Despite PCOS being prevalent in our parts of the world it still remains a mystery to a lot of people which leads to misunderstandings and misconceptions about the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines PCOS as a common hormonal condition that affects women of reproductive age. It usually starts during adolescence, but symptoms may change over time.
Patricia Kantoh
It is a chronic disease that cannot be cured. However, some symptoms can be improved through lifestyle changes, medications and fertility treatment.
Some statistics
According to WHO, PCOS affects an estimated 8 to 13 per cent women of reproductive age. Out of the figure, about 70 per cent remain undiagnosed worldwide.
Globally, the prevalence rate of 5 to 10 per cent and 17 to 22 per cent of people between the ages of 9 and 19 have been reported to have been diagnosed of PCOS using the Rotterdam criteria.
In Africa, studies have shown that the prevalence of PCOS ranges from 16 to 32 per cent.
Risk Factors
According to WHO, all females have a high risk of contracting PCOS, especially, those with a family history of Type Two diabetes.
One’s ethnicity can also be a risk factor for developing PCOS if such groups have a history of the disease.
Also, obesity could be another risk factor. PCOS is common in women who are obese although the relationship between obesity and PCOS is not yet established medically.
An individual’s lifestyle can also pose as a risk factor in contracting PCOS . Someone who spends much time lying or sitting for long periods, while have unhealthy diets may lead to increase in insulin resistance which increases their risk of contracting PCOS.
Signs and Symptoms
Some common signs and symptoms of the PCOS disorder include; irregular menstrual periods or amenorrhea (no periods), weight gain or being obese.
Excessive hair growth on face, chest and back is also symptom for PCOS.
Further, infertility or difficulty in getting pregnant, mood swings, depression and anxiety are all symptoms associated with PCOS.
Risk Reduction
In order to reduce the risk of getting PCOS, experts advise that one must maintain a healthy weight. Managing your weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise helps to reduce insulin resistance and androgen levels.
Scientists say getting enough sleep helps to reduce the risk of getting the disorder. Sleeping for 7 to 8 hours per night regulates hormones and metabolism.
Again, staying hydrated and limiting your intake of caffeine, alcohol and junk foods could reduce the risk of developing PCOS.
Lastly including Omega 3 supplements in one’s diet helps to reduce androgen levels and improves insulin sensitivity.
Some recommendations
PCOS is very common in women, yet only a few know that such disease exists.
Therefore, to prevent the disease, there is the need for stakeholders to intensify public health education about the disorder to improve awareness among women of the signs and symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
Public Education also needs to be combined with health workers education about the signs and symptoms of early symptoms of PCOS so that they can be referred for treatment when the need arises.
Lastly we should encourage women to consult health professionals when they start noticing any of these signs and symptoms.
By: Patricia Kantoh
Faculty of Journalism- University of Media Arts and Communication-Institute of Journalism
mspatriciakantoh@gmail.com
Unedited statement on the isolated incident by CSU Management attached below;
Matters Arising from The Recent Public Lecture
Generally, the programme was successful.
However, it has come to the notice of the Management of the Christian Service University that during the public lecture delivered by Former President, John Dramani Mahama, some skirmishes happened outside the auditorium where the event was held.
The victim
In the process, it was alleged that one of our students was attacked by unknown assailants.
The Dean of Students, representing the Management has reached out to the named-student to provide the necessary psycho-social support to him.
Meanwhile, the Management is taking the necessary steps to address the issue holistically. We wish to inform the general public that this isolated incident is regrettable.
As an academic institution, we believe in multiparty democracy as the bedrock for sustainable development and security in Ghana. We consistently maintain neutrality in all our dealings with the established political order of the day
We will continue to pray and work towards peace and harmony in our dear country Ghana.
Long live Ghana!
Long live CSU!!
