An amount of ?350 billion has so far accrued to the National Education Endowment Fund. The fund was established in 1999 to provide additional funding for the educational sector.

A member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, announced this at a panel discussion on the state of basic education in the country.

The panel comprised members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, representatives of NGOs and educationists, who deliberated on the need to map up strategies to solve the problem of lack of access to quality education facing particularly, the poor and the disabled.

The discussion which was on the theme: "Education the key strategic tool for development", formed part of activities organised by the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) to mark this year's global week of action on education.

Dr Chambas said it is important that government concentrates on the objective for which the fund was established, to achieve the expected results. He also suggested that teacher training colleges should be brought under the National Accreditation Board for modalities to be set, for the private sector to establish training colleges.

Dr Chambas, a former Deputy Minister of Education, said this is necessary because the 38 teacher training colleges in the country are not able to produce enough teachers for the schools.

In answer to a question on the policy which makes teachers who attain a certain rank take up administrative positions, whilst there is a shortage of teachers, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, Mr James Adusei-Sarkodie said the government, as part of measures to solve the problem, is recalling about 18,000 teachers who are outside the classroom.

Consequently, he said, the GES has issued an ultimatum that by the end of this month, all teachers on secondment to institutions, such as the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Non-Formal Education Division of GES, should report, to be re-posted to schools or have their salaries withdrawn.

He expressed concern that the education sector continues to be saddled with growing inequalities, particularly in the rural areas and said the committee has initiated a study into the issue, for urgent attention.