Address problem of mass failure in BECE MCE

Vunania (UE), April 23, GNA - Dr Stanislaus Alu Kandingdi, Navrongo Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has expressed worry at the continuous massive failure of candidates in the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) within the municipality.

He pointed out that the youth today were confronted with more challenges than any moment in the history of the human race, and said this explained why policy-makers must at all cost help take pragmatic measures to address the problem of mass failure at the BECE, to empower the youth to meet challenges of the world.

The MCE who expressed the worry during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Vunania Junior High School in the Municipality, stressed the need for policy-makers, to as a matter of urgency, address the problem by enhancing the capacity of basic schools so that they could achieve better learning outcomes.

He expressed regret that most of the Basic Schools in the country have no School Management Committees and that the huge responsibilities of the schools were left onto only headteachers.

What this means is that the general management of these schools and identification of priority areas for their development are shouldered entirely by the headteachers. The important question is how can

head teachers carry out the huge responsibility of managing the school alone, and be expected to deliver good results.

Referring to the School Performance Improvement Plan (SPIP) which was intended to ensure quality education by outlining annually the action a school had put in place to improve school management, and effective teaching and learning practices, Dr Kandingdi said it had suffered so much neglect.

He further stated that the case was the same with other measures such as the School Performance Appraisal Meetings; a mechanism which made it possible for parents in each community to be provided with information by circuit supervisors on the performance of their schools on each of the assessments.

He said the nation can develop better if much attention is paid to quality education by creating the conducive and enabling environment for effective teaching and learning, adding that government and the Municipal Assemblies over the years, had put in place policy measures to improve upon quality education in the country.

The MCE mentioned some of policy measures as the provision of free school uniforms, exercise and text books, and the provision of hot and nutritional meals to deprived schools, as well as the up-scaling of the Capitation Grant to Schools.

The provision of classroom accommodation is one of the areas the Assembly is also gradually addressing, to ensure the creation of a conducive environment to enhance teaching and learning.

Under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) programme, classroom furniture is also being supplied and distributed to schools.

He called on t Managers of Education in the Municipality to step up their supervisory roles to ensure that teachers go to school regularly, and entreated teachers to strive hard to impart the right knowledge and skills to their pupils and instil some sense of moral discipline in them to make them become more responsible.

The headmaster of the School, Mr Akansake Anthony Akabikire called on the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Mark Wayongo, the Municipal Assembly, benevolent groups, including stakeholders in education, to help renovate the school which was in a dilapidated state.

He further requested for the construction of a library and an Information Communication Centre for the school.

GNA