Antwi Danso sceptical about Ghana's ability to implement new education reform

Concern has been expressed about the capacity of Ghana with about 40 per cent of its annual budget being donor funded, to implement all aspects of the new Education Reform.

The education sector performance report of 2007 revealed that, total requirement of funding under the reform would be 12.03 trillion cedis annually with a financing gap of 2.6 trillion cedis annually.

Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, lecturer at the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA) of the University of Ghana expressed the concern at the 55th anniversary and graduation of the first batch of Diploma in Basic Education of Presbyterian College of Education at Abetifi in the Eastern Region.

The event was organised under the theme: "55 years of quality Presbyterian Teacher Education and the new educational reform."

Dr Antwi-Danso said, in addition to the funding of the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme, the educational sector would require 13.8 trillion cedis annually with basic education alone taking about 57 per cent of the amount.

He, however, expressed appreciation that, under the reform, all levels of education would be staffed with trained teachers by the year 2015.

Dr. Antwi-Danso called for effective implementation of the reform, which required that all teachers' training colleges to be upgraded into Diploma awarding institutions and be affiliated to the education oriented universities.

He said this would ensure that knowledge, competences and skills of teachers were upgraded and updated to enable them to offer quality teaching.

Dr. Antwi-Danso expressed the hoped that the conditions of teachers would be improved to make teaching attractive.

Dr Antwi-Danso said, a buying and selling economy could not sustain the education reform and advised government to seek the needed interventions to turn the economy into a knowledge based productive one to link education to employment generation.

He said, "Education should result in the formation of well balanced individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to enable him or her to become functional and productive."

Dr Antwi-Danso called for the formulation of programmes that have the definitive focus on the job market.

Mr Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu, the Regional Minister, said government had implemented various policies and programmes in the educational sector to enhance human resource development to create employment to reduce poverty.

He said the Education Reform was aimed at equipping the youth with knowledge, skills and competencies needed for the global economy.

Mr. Afram-Asiedu said teacher training colleges were being upgraded to diploma awarding institutions to attract qualified and competent applicants.

Reverend Fred Appertey, the Principal of the College, advocated a modular programme for the staff of training colleges to enhance their capacity.

Two hundred and twenty-two students who completed a three-year diploma course at the College were presented with certificates.