Blay

Ajumako (C/R), Feb. 16, GNA - The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Reverend Ama Afo Blay, on Monday cautioned Senior Secondary Schools not to allow the pressure created by the recent publication of their results to breed examination malpractices. She said the publication should rather spur them into preparing adequately for examinations.

Rev. Afo Blay gave the caution at Ajumako where she opened a three-day workshop on "performance assessment" of the GES towards effective implementation of its education strategic plan.

The workshop, which was attended by regional and district directors of education and budget officers in the southern sector of the country, was to enable them have practical demonstration of achievements made last year, as well as share experiences to pave the way for an effective and efficient educational delivery in 2004 and beyond.

Rev Blay admitted there were "inequities" in the distribution of teaching and learning materials in schools and said a redistribution exercise would be undertaken to correct such anomalies and also ensure timely distribution of materials.

Rev Blay said last year, the GES experienced some improvement in the area of quality education delivery, especially in the provision of inputs and increased infrastructure development, where more than 500 basic schools were constructed under a school upgrading programme.

She said regional, district and gender disparities in admission and gross enrolment rates were greatly reduced to the barest minimum, and that disparities in gross admission rate for girls in primary school also reduced from 0.12 in 1999 to about 0.04 last year.

The director- general, pointed out that her outfit was able to achieve these because the service resolved to provide an efficient and effective education in the country.

She was however, unhappy that the service had a funding gap of over one trillion cedis and that 34 percent of the amount could have been used in the training of more teachers, provision of infrastructure and teaching and learning materials to step up teaching and learning at the primary school level.

Rev. Blay announced that some new divisions and units such as guidance and counselling, religious and planning units had been established to enhance transparency and accountability in the operations of all sectors, as well as correct misconceptions about education. She said an "efficiency-saving initiative" embarked upon last year to reduce the funding gap, would be strengthened this year, and that a credible data system in the regions and districts would also be sustained, with statistics and planning officers receiving requisite training in data collection, analysis and management.

The Director-General announced that 100 staff bungalows would be built for deprived basic schools in the country and that attention would be given to the completion of district education office buildings and bungalows, whose construction have progressed beyond 60 percent, and that regional offices will be given a face lift.

She also announced plans to provide each secondary school with a double-cabin pickup and that a credible data system for the service's vehicles would be developed to enable it prepare an effective vehicle replacement cycle budget to improve its transportation system.