Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister on Tuesday said physical infrastructure alone cannot increase quality education in the country if teachers do not enhance their professional competencies and proficiencies.

He said government was still committed to the achievement of quality education in the country, hence apart from the massive educational infrastructural development since 2009 to date; government had also been increasing access to higher education.

The Regional Minster cited the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Brong-Ahafo and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Volta Region as evidence of government’s commitment for qualified teachers and students to upgrade themselves.

Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo made the call in an address delivered for him by Mr. Joe Nyankamawu, a Deputy Regional Coordinating Director, at the opening of a two-day Brong-Ahafo Regional Educational Sector Annual Review Workshop in Sunyani.

The workshop, attended by 230 participants included Head-teachers, Managers of Educational Units, Head-masters and representatives from the Municipal/District Assemblies (MDAs), Municipal/District Education Directorates and Non-Governmental Organisations.

It was to access the status of education in the region, identify challenges, consolidate achievements and fashion out strategies to improve upon other key indicators.

Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo advised teachers in the region to take advantage of the UENR to improve themselves, to augment government’s efforts in creating solid educational structures for the country to achieve the Millennium Development target of Universal Basic Education.

The Regional Minister observed that some teachers did not make effective use of contract hours, saying that was a disservice to children in affected schools and communities.

He cautioned them to stop such negative tendencies since that amounted to a drain on the economy of the country.

Mr. Samuel Ansah, Director of Teacher Education Division of Ghana Education Service (GES), who deputized for the Director-General, Madam Benedicta Naana Biney, noted that “a society that is ignorant will become a breeding ground for violence and intolerance”.

He however said an educated society “will be a breeding ground for tolerance and peace, justice and understanding, innovation and advancement and positive self-sustaining growth.”

Mr. Ansah said the improvement of the educational system should not involve only enthusiastic actors from Central and Local Government Departments, Development Partners and NGOs but also Civil Societies and all stakeholders in support of children’s learning and education.

Dr. George Adjei-Henne, Regional Director of Education in a welcoming address, expressed optimism that the workshop would come out with effective strategies towards the achievement of the Educational Strategic Plan (ESP) 2010-2020.

He said the ESP outlined educational policies and objectives, various strategies and expected outcomes aimed at achieving the educational goals of the country.

The Regional Director said the policy goals grouped into four areas are “Equitable Access to Education”, “Quality Education”, “Sound Management” and “Science, Technology and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)”.

Dr. Adjei-Henne announced that despite some challenges, the trend over the last years in the provision of equitable access to quality education at all levels in the region indicated a substantial progress.

He said at the pre-tertiary level, kindergarten Gross Enrollment Rate (GER) of 100.5 per cent was recorded in the 2011/2012 educational year, but was lower than the planned target.

At the primary level, the GER dropped to 95.7 per cent whilst at the Junior high School it dropped from 77.2 per cent to 64.8 per cent, the Regional Director added.

He said the statistics was an indication that they had still not reached the Millennium Development target of Universal Basic Education of 100 per cent.

Dr. Adjei-Henne hoped that notwithstanding, they could still boast of narrowing the gap between boys and girls enrollment in Basic Schools as his monitoring during the 2012 BECE in most of the centres in the region showed girls who were writing the examination out-numbered that of boys.**