General News of Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Source: GNA

Computerize postings of newly trained teachers - Adogba

Bolgatanga, April 30, GNA - Mr John Adogba, Chairman of Bolgatanga Municipal Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) on Wednesday, called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to computerize postings of newly trained teachers to solve the problem of overstaffing in schools in urban areas.

Mr Adogba made the call when management of Northern Network on Education Development (NNED) an NGO organized a day's strategizing seminar on Pupil-Teacher-Ratio (PTR) and its impact on the new educational reform in Bolgatanga.

He called on NNED to dialogue with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, NGOs and stakeholders in education to tackle the inadequate infrastructure in the kindergarten where some were overcrowded and others operate in the open.

"The increase in enrolment is due to the introduction of the school feeding programme and the capitation grant by Government," he added. Mr Adogba noted that a class of 101 pupils to a teacher was too much and could affect teaching and learning under the education reform. He said the problem could be solved through computerizing postings of teachers and re-deployment of teachers in urban centres to the rural areas.

"This would ensure that the National Pupil-Teacher ratio of at least 25 pupils to a teacher in basic schools could be achieved, "he added.