Basic education is crucial in a child’s development, pay attention to it – Retired educationist to stakeholders

Mr. Ayyub Morgan, a retired Educationist has implored education stakeholders, especially government and parents to focus much attention on the basic education level.

He noted that the most crucial period of a child’s development was at the time he/she spent in basic school and therefore, encouraged parents to give their children the best attention when they were in basic school.

Mr. Morgan, a former member of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Council made the call at the 44th anniversary and 2nd Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Ekumfi Attakwaa T.I. Ahmadiyya Basic School.

The celebration was on the theme, “Making the child the Focus of Education at the Basic School level: What must be done”.

It was attended by several dignitaries including, Nana Gyaben VIII, Nyimfahen, Ekumfi Traditional Area, Mr. Ishaque Ismaeel Abbew; School Improvement Support Officer (SISO), Ekumfi Essarkyir, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Quantson, Head Master, E-AMASS and Central Regional Chairman of CHASS, past Headteachers of the school among others.

Mr. Morgan described the theme of the occasion as unique and appropriate but noted that government does not pay enough attention as it did to SHS and tertiary education as basic schools generally lacked infrastructure as well as teaching and learning resources.

Additionally, he noted that teachers were not well catered for and most parents did not fulfill their parental responsibility at the basic school level satisfactorily while many teachers also did not perform their professional responsibilities as expected of them.

He said basic education was designed to prepare and equip the child with basic knowledge and skills to start adult life and work.

The retired Educationist said it was unornate, however, that basic education did not receive the attention it required for an effective educational foundation.

Mr. Morgan advised the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Education Unit to in collaboration with the National Teaching Council train and retrain teachers on child-centered paregorics.

He also called for an improvement and intensification at the public basic school level supervision and monitoring.

For teachers, he advised them to spend time studying the relevant laws relating to children, make the school environment child friendly, respect the rights of the child, and stop physical and phycological harassment of children.

He further encouraged the teachers to re-examine themselves and resolve to work harder and more effectively to continue to churn out children capable of contributing to the development of the country.

In a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Joseph Baffoe, Human Resource Manager at Ekumfi Education Directorate, Mr. Isaac Oscar Odoom, Ekumfi District Education Director said every stakeholder had a role to play in making the child the focus of education at the basic school level.

He said Government was doing all that it can to provide the necessary infrastructure for basic schools but stressed that government alone could not do all and therefore required the commitment of all especially parents.

Mr. Yusuf Ibrahim Dadzie, Headteacher of the school spoke mentioned challenges of the school such as inadequate teaching staff, perennial flooding, low enrolment and deplorable state of the school building and KG Playground.

He mentioned for instance that, the primary block was gradually losing its strength due to flood as anytime it rained, part of the school especially the walkway and around the primary block was flooded.

He therefore appealed to all stakeholders to come to their aid to salvage the situation.

Awards were presented to deserving students and staff.