Educational Reforms To Provide Apprenticeship

Students who do not make it to the Senior High School (SHS) or opt for employment after Junior High School(JHS) will go through a well organised apprenticeship programme under the new educational reform.

The cost of the first year of apprenticeship designed to equip the students with skills will be borne by the state.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, who made this known during the formal launch of the reform in Accra, said it formed part of the major reform which kicks off on September 1, this year.

He said the reform was aimed at developing a highly skilled, technologically-advanced and disciplined workforce to service the country's growing economy. It was also expected to advance the literacy rate in the country by nearly 100 per cent by 2015.

The President said 15 out of the 38 teacher training colleges were being upgraded and would be specially equipped for Science, Mathematics and Technology, which constituted the new focus of the educational delivery programme.

President Kufuor said the government was extending the broadband connectivity to all parts of the country to facilitate the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in schools.

The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, said the reform had become necessary to address the failures in the past system where about 60 per cent of JSS Three students were neither equipped for the world of work nor the continuation of formal education.

He said the old system produced a large number of students who were not skilful in craft or technology for meaningful work and were lacking in English and Mathematics for the continuation of education.

Another reason for the reform, according to the minister, was the fact that the centralised Ghana Education Service could not manage the process and its systemic faults.

Story by Hadiza Nuhhu-Billa