NPP GOVT AND THE EDUCATION SECTOR, THE UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT- MR. KPODO

We have reformed the structure and content of basic education to include 2 years of kindergarten, 6 years of primary school and 3 years of Junior High School. A new curriculum has been introduced to improve quality and impart skills relevant to the job market.

The NPP government has constructed 765 new school blocks at basic level throughout the country, in addition to 150 3-unit classroom blocks and 231 6-unit classroom blocks to replace schools under trees. Overall, the number of schools (public and private) increased by a third at the basic level in the period 2000/01 to 2007/08.

We have introduced the School Feeding Programme, Capitation Grant and free Metro Bus ride for children in basic school in order to make education affordable and accessible to all Ghanaians. Nearly half a million children now benefit from the School Feeding Programme which will be extended to all children in the next 2 years.

Enrolment in public basic school now stands at almost 5 million compared to 2.7 million in 2000, before the NPP came into office. P=re-School enrolment has doubled. Primary school and Junior High School enrolment has increased by 50% because of these policies. Of equal significance is the fact that enrolment at the Senior High School level has more than doubled (See table below).

Level No. of Schools Enrollment
2000/01 2007/08 2000/01 2007/08
Pre-School 5,976 11,140 649,677 1,258,483
Primary 11,916 13,247 2,477,990 3,622,724
JHS 6,133 7,267 804,419 1,224,964
SHS 474 493 204,000 454,681
Teachers at the basic school level are now paid five times more than what they were paid in the year 2000.

The NPP government established the University of Mines and Technology (formerly KNUST School of Mines) at Tarkwa in the Western Region, the UDS Campus and the two Polytechnics in Wa and Bolgatanga in the Upper West and Upper East regions, respectively.

Enrolment in public universities has more than doubled – from 40,670 in 2000/01 to 88,445 in 2006/07. Enrolment in polytechnics also rose by more than 50% in that period from 18,470 in 2000/2001 to 28,695 in 2006/2007.

Level No. of Institutions Enrolment
2000/01 2006/07 2000/01 2006/07 % increase
University 5 6 40,670 88,445 117%
Private Univ. 4 16 1,667 18,278 996%
Polytechnic 10 10 18,470 28,695 55%
Professional Ins. 3 3 2,013 4,350 116%
The number of private universities quadrupled from only four in the year 2000/01 to sixteen in 2006/07 with enrolment increasing sharply from less than 1,700 to over 18,000 in the same period.

Under the policy of providing one model Senior High School for each District, 31 such schools have been constructed and 25 are nearing completion under the first phase. This programme shall be accelerated to benefit all Districts in the first term of the incoming NPP administration.

The substantial expansion in both educational infrastructure and in enrolment at all levels of the educational system clearly represents the solid foundation which has been laid by the NPP administration for the future requirements of a modern society.

From comparison document:
Education
(P)NDC:1981– 2001(19 YEARS IN POWER)
NPP: 2001 – 2008(8 YEARS IN POWER)REORMSThe (P)NDC's Educational Reform Programme was autocratically imposed and implemented. Any dissent to it was massively repressed, creating huge frustrations for all stakeholders including the pupils/students, teachers and parents. In fact the quality of Ghana's education system declined seriously under the (P)NDC's watch.

Whilst Within 8 years in power, the NPP has introduced far reaching reforms into our formal educational system in order to render the educational system more relevant to our developmental goals and aspirations as a nation. We have reformed the structure and content of basic education to include 2 years of kindergarten, 6 years of primary school and 3 years of Junior High School. The pre-school stage which previously fell outside the mainstream school system has now been fully integrated.A new curriculum has been introduced to improve quality and impart skills relevant to the job market, including the teaching of ICT.

SCHOOL ENROLMENT
The (P)NDC's educational policies hardly increased enrolment levels. Under the (P)NDC, basic education was run strictly on a cash and carry basis. There were hardly any incentives for parents and the children to get kids enrolled in school.

Whereas The NPP has succeeded in almost doubling public basic school enrolment under its watch, as a result of the massive investment in education (from 3.8% of GDP in 2000 to 6.1 in 2007) and policies such as the Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme, and Free Metro Bus Ride for school children. Senior High School enrolment has more than doubled.

SCHOOL BUILDINGS
What the (P)NDC offered us in the name of classroom blocks were a few hundred open sheds which they called school pavilions concentrated mostly in areas of the country considered to be their strongholds.

Whilst The NPP has built 765 new school blocks at basic level throughout the country, in addition to 150 3-unit classroom blocks and 231 6-unit classroom blocks to replace schools under trees. Additionally the NPP has upgraded the first batch of 38 selected secondary schools across the country into first class schools with modern infrastructure, facilities & equipment. The Volta Regional Chairman of the NDC who was also a former Minister of the Region is on record as having expressed shock at the development projects including schools that the NPP Government had within 4 years delivered to all parts of the Volta Region.

PUBLIC UNIVERSTIES
The (P)NDC set up 2 public universities (UDS and Winneba) but their efforts over two decades simply do not compare to those of the NPP in 8.

The NPP within 8-years has opened one public university - the University of Mines at Tarkwa. Enrolment in the public Universities jumped from a total of 40,673 in 2000/2001 to 88,400 in 2006/2007 – more than double. Total enrolment into all Polytechnics increased from 18,459 in 2000/2001 to 28,700 in 2007/2008 – a 55% increase. In addition the number of students on distance education programme has been expanded and supported by the NPP Government.There has also been massive infrastructural development under the NPP in terms of new faculty blocks, administration, hostels, libraries, lecture theatres etc. E.g. Ho Polytechnic in the Volta Region.

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
Private universities may have started under the NDC but they have only really blossomed under the conducive environment created by the NPP.

Whilst Between 2001 and 2007 the total number of accredited private universities in Ghana leapt from 4 to 16 – a quadrupling of their number. Total enrolment in these private universities within the same period had increased by nearly 1000% from 1,667 to 18,278.

TRAINING COLLEGES
No such reforms to improve teacher quality were conceived of, let alone implemented, by the (P)NDC while in power.

Under the NPP's New Educational policy, all Teachers Training as well as Nurses Training Colleges have been upgraded into Diploma-awarding tertiary institutions. This policy is being followed up by another dose of massive investment to expand and improve infrastructure and facilities in all these institutions

This and many more will the Nana Akufo-Addo government do for Ghanaians.Lets vote for Akufo-Addo and the NPP for a better GHANA.