... SSS education to be extended to four years
... No name change for JSS
Cape Coast, June 11, GNA - Mrs Angela Baiden-Amissah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, on Saturday announced that as from next year the educational reform review programme would be implemented to help improve the standards of education in the country.

The reforms among others things require the extension of the duration of Senior Secondary School education from three to four years with the name also changed to Senior High School.

Kindergarten education would also be made compulsory and an integral part of basic education while both human and material resources in the educational sector would be upgraded to facilitate the success of the programme.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah who was launching the 80th anniversary programme and endowment fund of the Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Training College at Cape Coast, noted that 17,616 teachers were needed to fill vacancies at the basic level, adding that the issue was being addressed. She said the sector would train 24,000 teachers and volunteers within the next ten years to help address the staffing problem particularly in deprived areas.

She expressed concern about some teachers in some deprived areas, who refuse to accept postings to their areas and reminded such people that it took the sacrifice of the missionaries to established some of the schools in the country.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah said due to the government's vision to "make education the cornerstone of the development of our nation" Teachers Training Colleges would be provided with ICT centres with modern libraries among other infrastructure next year to enable teacher trainees to be computer literate to deliver quality education after their training.

She urged the trainees to further upgrade themselves and to offer selfless and dedicated services after their training.

The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, paid glowing tribute to the founding missionaries of the College and described them as "gallant heroes" whose sacrifices had left behind a legacy of "immense benefit" to the country.

He also described the College as one of the best teacher training institution for women in the sub-region and urged the trainees to ensure that they produced quality students after their training. The Reverend Sister Elizabeth Amoako, Principal of the College, gave a brief history of the College and said the anniversary would be celebrated in December this year.

She asked for the support of all stakeholders to help move teacher education forward.

Mr Ato Ampiah, Managing Director of the Crystal Auto Limited, who launched an endowment fund observed that teaching was no longer a vocation but a profession.

He said that teachers should therefore ensure "national competitiveness" through the production of quality human resources. Among the dignitaries present at the function, was the MP for Cape Coast, Ms Christine Churcher and Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast.