Ghana's Education Sector undergoing reforms — Education Minister

Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Edutwum in a speech read on his behalf by the Director for Pre-Tertiary Education, said due to global changes, Ghana's education sector is undergoing some reforms, such as the revamping of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions at all levels, and the introduction of pre-engineering and robotics at the Senior High Schools.

He mentioned the upgrading of the Colleges of Education from diploma to degree awarding institutions, and the establishment of new Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) institutions across the country.

He noted, all these are geared towards creating an enabling environment and courses that would make graduates gain the needed skills and knowledge to make them competitive wherever they travel across the globe.

The Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Kwesi Anim Yeboah, reminded students that it is only by dint of hardwork, perseverance and dedication that one can succeed.

"Drug abuse and laziness are not classmates to success, neither do chronic indiscipline and academic excellence," he stressed.

Justice Anim Yeboah made these remarks at the 70th anniversary, Speech and Prize Giving Day Celebration of Apam Senior High School.

Speaking on the theme, "70 years of Quality Education: Sustaining our Gains in the New Technological World," he called on students to take advantage of the present technological age to make maximum use of the learning environment in Senior High Schools, adding that it will be difficult to redeem such a golden opportunity when it is lost.

According to him, many bright and promising students have aborted their dreams or condemned their own lives to destitution on waywardness because they were not serious with their books or failed the test of discipline.

The retired Chief Justice, who is also an old student, prayed to God that the current rotten character and abysmal failure will not befall students of Great APASS.

Explaining how a school qualifies to be a category 'A' school, the Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Eric Nkansah, in a speech read for him said, the performance of a school which includes behaviour and the perception of the community about the school, plays a major role in its categorization.

He, therefore, called on the Alumni to promote the school wherever they are to encourage students to over-subscribe to increase Great APASS's chances of making it to the 'A' category.

The Board Chairman of the School's Governing Board, Nana Obokomatta, IX, Chief of Gomoa Dasum, thanked the President, Road Minister and Chief Justice for asphalting all the roads on campus which has been in a deplorable state well over 20 years, and the construction of an ultramodern girls dormitory, despite the current economic conditions in the country.

The Headmistress of Apam Secondary School, Mrs Comfort Essah Amoaful, appealed to government to provide the school with additional teachers' accommodation to help teachers stay on campus to instill discipline which according to her is a core value for academic excellence.

"The existing bungalows are in a very sorry state, hence need massive renovation urgently to avoid possible disaster," she stressed.

Mrs. Amoaful requested the construction of a 200-seater capacity staff common room, a modern visual art studio, accessories for the School's Regimental Band, toilet facilities, and tables and chairs to enhance teaching and learning.