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19.07.2008 General News

Teachers, nurses must return home after education abroad

19.07.2008 LISTEN
By Bashiratu Kamal - Ghanaian Chronicle

Ms. Alfreda Apprey, the Special Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports has said that Internationalism can not be achieved if trained Teachers and Nurses, who travel abroad to further their education refuse to return to the country in order to share the acquired knowledge.

The Special Assistant expressed this view at a seminar organised by the British Council on the theme- “Internationalism in Education”, which was held in Accra and attended by the four West African colonies of the United Kingdom (UK), as well as other African countries such as Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Malawi, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Sierra Leone.

The programme, which is aimed at being interactive on global dimension of education, was part of activities connecting classrooms that also allowed for intercultural dialogue, through a three-way partnership between schools in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.

It is also expected to improve the perceptions of young UK and African citizens, by funding collaborative curriculum-based projects.

The participating schools were therefore anticipated to benefit from a partnership that would be based on mutual respect and learning.

Each partnership of nine schools is expected to receive an amount of 15,000 pounds per year, for up to three years for their project.

Ms. Apprey further noted that the country had adopted a new system with much emphasise on the Information Communication Technology (ICT), as a compulsory course by all educational Institutions in the country, to conform with the 2007 educational reform.

She was of the view that the new Institutional names, the Junior High and Senior High were borrowed systems from the International partners as a result of Internationalism.

According to her, the advent of Internationalism has even broaden the scope of the girl-child education in the country, adding that it had made girls attain greater laurels like their male counterparts.

Ms. Apprey indicated that the emergence of education had shot up the interest of parents to shed off their primitive mindset that the girl's place was the kitchen. She was happy that the African continent had in recent times experienced strong women empowerment programmes, with women challenging for positions as Chief Justice (in Ghana) and the President of the Republic of Liberia.

She noted that inter-cultural and education in Internationalism has seen many physically challenged people in the country be engaged in different economic trades.

The Director of education at the British Council in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Upton, for his part noted that the tool for development in every nation was education, emphasising that people gain from investing in both short term and long term education.

Internationalism, he said, had brought about the learning of diversified cultures and skills, including languages. He stressed that education was not just about the money invested in it, but how well individuals made use of available opportunities.

Mr. Upton indicated that for the best to be achieved in education, teachers and stakeholders in the sector must come together to recognise the need to blend curriculum, culture and skills to achieve the desired goals.

Mr. Upton identified the five principles that would help achieve the best results in education, these include knowing your differences, being curious to learn more, respect for one another's opinion, using dialogue to solve evolving problems, which will all amount to equity between individuals.

He was of the view that for the best result in what had been taught in class, “the best and vital tool in getting feedback is the use of evaluation and assessment.”

Participants identified physical education, human rights, passion and acceptance, inclusion of parents, opening doors to all to contribute, commitment and support in all stakeholders.

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