Accra, Feb 8, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Thursday the critical reforms in the Public Sector over which a Minister was appointed last year was needed to rationalised operations in the sector, enhance the capacity of both the agencies and their staff and restore discipline and pride.
In his sessional address to the Parliament, he said: "A well functioning public sector should also become more supportive of the private sector, in the spirit of Public-Private Sector Partnership, which should be the cornerstone for the acceleration of socio-economic development".
The President said the new wage reform policy, which the government adopted last year, was to set up a framework to ensure equal pay for work of equal value across the spectrum of the Public Sector. To operate this new policy, President Kufuor explained that, a Fair Wages Commission had been set up to rationalised the entire sector's salaries by removing distortions, which in the past caused confusion and disaffection among public servants.
"The exercise, which was preceded by salaries across the Board in this year's budget, has put a strain on government's financial targets. Government however sees the increases as a necessary investment to inspire public servants and change their mindsets towards higher productivity".
On Human Resource Development, President Kufuor said in pursuit of its policy, the government was embarking on ambitious schemes in capacity building, skills acquisition, vocational training and application of science and technology.
He said the centrepiece of that policy would be the new Educational Reform to be launched in September.
According to the President, great strides had already been made in school enrolment following the introduction of measures like the capitation grant, school feeding programme as well as the school-bussing programme.
He said it was expected that by 2015, Ghana would have reached 100 per cent school enrolment.
On secondary education, President Kufuor stated that, the government would this year commission the first batch of 31 model secondary schools that had had their facilities upgraded. Contracts for the second phase of the upgrading programme, involving 25 schools, had also been awarded and construction had begun in many places. The President said government was giving same attention to technical and vocational education through an accelerated programme of construction, rehabilitation and equipping of technical and vocational institutes and polytechnics throughout the country. On tertiary education, President Kufuor said government would continue with its programme of expansion of infrastructure development to keep the pace with enrolment.
On tertiary education, President Kufuor said government would continue with its programme of expansion of infrastructure development to keep the pace with enrolment.
In this regard, the President acknowledged the contribution of the private sector in the sprouting of universities, especially, established by religious bodies.
He admitted the increasing demand for hostel facilities as a result of the rapid increasing population of students throughout the country and expressed appreciation of the role the GETFUND was playing and invited the private sector to assist in meeting the needs of such institutions.
The President said a scholarship scheme had been fashioned under the GETFUND Manpower Development Scholarship Scheme to train faculty, adding that in 2005/2006, some 60 faculties of tertiary institutions were sponsored for overseas training.
"Conditions of service to attract bright young people to make a career of teaching at this level are also under consideration" President Kufuor added.
On Teacher Education, the President acknowledged that, the entire educational reform hinged on the central role of teacher education, thus the government, he said was committed to upgrading all the 38 Teacher Training Colleges.
He said as part of the process, a diploma programme was introduced in training colleges in the 2003/2004 academic year of which the first batch of teacher trainees would graduate in June this year. President Kufuor said central to the improvement of teacher education was the emphasis on the study of science, mathematics and technology. Consequently, 15 colleges had been selected for extra specialisation in the teaching and learning of those three subjects whilst vehicles and teaching and learning materials had also been provided to all teacher training colleges to facilitate the realization of the policy. 8 Feb. 07