By Ebi Kesiena
The Education Minister, in Ghana, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has urged educational institutions to improve on their outcomes or stand the risk of having their institutions closed down.
Dr. Adutwum announced this when he addressed members of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools and Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training TVET Institutions in Kumasi on Sunday.
He explained that a school with a consistent zero to 10 per cent pass rate should put together intervention programmes.
This he explained, will ensure that the majority of their students find opportunities for further studies rather than becoming liability to their parents and society, due to their inability to pass exams.
He said that closing down the schools would help save the nation from the huge financial losses being incurred by the government, as a result of the existence of the schools.
Dr. Adutwum explained that in cases where schools are closed down, the affected students would be redistributed to other nearby schools, so they could continue their education.
The meeting with CHASS, which is an annual event was to share with them the current state of education in the country, discussed new development in the sector and answer questions on issues affecting them.
The minister lamented the addition of many other unapproved items on the school’s prospectus, which in the long run, led to the bloating of the prospectus for first-year students.
He advised the heads not to do anything that would discourage or prevent any student from having access to education.
Dr. Adutwum further urged the heads to let it be their goal to do everything possible to create an enabling environment for students to study and not to disturb them from their studies.
On his part, Deputy Minister for Education, in-charge of TVET sector, Ms. Gifty Twum-Ampofo, reminded the principals to ensure that students were well equipped for the job market and also let the schools pass through them and not the students passing through the school.
She also admonished the principals to spend time enhancing their capacity through reading relevant courses and books to support their effort at getting the best training for their students.
