Baakoniaba(BAR), Nov. 7, GNA - Professor Dominic K. Fobih, Minister for Education, Science and Sports has called on Heads of Second Cycle Institutions to collaborate with stakeholders in their communities to create a new, reliable and practical educational system based on high standards for continuous improvement. He said secondary education played a vital role in nurturing human resources for development and the cornerstone of educational system for the country.

"Without an efficient, credible and sustainable education system that gives due cognizance to secondary education, the objective of human resources development, to make the country a major player in todays globalise economy would remain an illusion," he added.

Professor Fobih made the call when delivering the keynote address, at the 46th Annual Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) at Baakoniaba, near Sunyani. The conference under the theme: "Promoting Quality Educational Leadership and Excellence", was to provide an opportunity for the participants to adopt and utilise strategies and resources available to provide a meaningful secondary education to meet the developmental needs of the country. Prof. Fobih said knowledge, experience and skill determined the progress of development, therefore any poverty reduction strategic objectives could be achieved through the establishment of a relevant secondary education to support the knowledge-driven economic growth. Professor James Hawkins Ephraim, Vice-Chancellor, Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre, called on government to appoint the most qualified persons to head secondary schools to promote quality educational leadership.

He stressed the need for comprehensive leadership training for all Heads of Senior High Schools and teachers through seminars or a strategic incorporation of leadership topics in the teacher training curricula.

Professor Ephraim said other measures to promote quality educational leadership included the institution of motivational package for teachers and enhanced conditions of service. Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, National President of CHASS, expressed appreciation for the tremendous efforts government was making in education to make it affordable and accessible to all Ghanaians. However, he called for government's intervention to help address the problem of perennial delay in the payment of scholarships to beneficiary institutions, review of feeding fees, frequent blackouts and shortage of water and equitable distribution of resources among schools. Mr Ofori-Adjei, pledged the commitment of CHASS to collaborate with Ghana Education Service (GES) to clear the few bottlenecks associated with the Computer School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), though it had been acceptable to many Ghanaians. Nana A. Kwadwo Kwakye, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, reiterated the need for them to lead exemplary lives for other teachers to emulate.

He appealed to teachers to carve a better image for the profession and weed out those whose conducts were considered incompatible with the noble profession.

Nana Kwadwo Kwakye, underscored the need for other stakeholders of education to complement government's effort for quality education and vice versa to ensure that there was value for money invested in education.

He appealed to the heads to educate their students qualified to vote not to indulge in any electoral malpractices that could put their future into jeopardy but join he crusade for peaceful, fair and transparent election.