Agona Swedru (C/R), March 8, GNA - The new educational reform is to address the shortcomings in the schools system, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister said at the weekend.

He was speaking at the 49th Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Swedru Secondary School at Agona Swedru.

He noted that even though the JSS/SSS system was designed to give vocational and technical training in addition to academic work to enable the pupil who could not cope with the academic or intellectual demands to be equipped to them to earn a living, this could not materialize. Mr Affram Asiedu said a productive form of formal educational structure for the country's youth to break through in science and technology.

The new educational reform had its focus on the Ghanaian child's development through access to formal education because manpower development could not be separated from advancement, he stated. He said the success of the reform would depend on the attitude of students, who must make good use of facilities and be serious with their studies, he stated and urged parents to provide the learning materials and personal needs of their children to complement the efforts of government.

Mr Affram Asiedu appealed to parents to help schools with computers and Internet to help the pupils and teachers to access information to enhance their studies.

He urged teachers to eschew all forms of absenteeism, lateness, laziness, drunkenness and other vices and do their work with dedication and commitment to ensure the success of the policy.

Professor E Kweku Osam, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ghana, speaking on "The new Educational Reforms; Challenges and Prospects", noted that the country had seen a number of major reforms in its educational policy because "we have not perfected the system". He stressed the need for a well-trained and motivated teacher, especially in the early stages where children needed a solid foundation to develop their creative art and craft, music and dance and other skills.

"Let us move away from the drudgery of Monday to Saturday classes and the September to August schooling that leaves children victims of academic fatigue," Prof Osam said. The Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Ben Mensah, said the school was established under the Ghana Education Trust during the First Republic and would celebrate its Golden Jubilee next year. He charged the 11-member anniversary planning committee under the chairmanship of the Headmaster, Mr E K T Osam to work hard to ensure its success.