Let’s Pursue Accountability In The Educational Sector In 2018—IFEST

The year 2017 has been a very fruitful year for the good people of this country and all the stakeholders in the education sector. Even though we have had serious challenges in the education sector, it is worth noting that it was not all bad, there have been some important achievements in the sector too. As an Institute for Education, we have had serious deliberations on issues that pertain to the improvement in the education sector.

We have been in the forefront in offering constructive criticism and have provided the needed policy options in many occasions to educational issues of national interest. We have engaged the policy makers and the needed authorities in many instances all in the quest to shape the educational policies in this country.

As we enter this festive season, we wish to thank the people of this country, our media partners and the stakeholders in the education sector for their support and assistance in helping us push the agenda of ensuring quality, inclusion and equity in the education sector. We look forward to a more effective and efficient collaboration in the coming year.

In the coming year, we wish to admonish all stakeholders in the education sector to pursue accountability. The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report (2017) urges all stakeholders in Education to make accountability the focal point in their desire to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

In 2018, we must realise as a country that, each individual has a role to play in achieving the ultimate aim of ensuring quality and inclusive education which results in life-long learning. To achieve this, we need to appreciate the clear cut roles of the various players in the education sector. The government has the ultimate responsibility in providing policy direction and financing education in the country. This role is supported by the private sector and Donor Agencies who also contribute immensely to the development in the sector. School authorities and teachers should play their roles in ensuring that teaching and learning take place as planned by the school calendar. Parents should take special interest in the education of their wards, pay regular visit to their wards' schools to enquire of their progress and offer the needed resources needed by their wards to excel in their education. Students should take their education serious, be present and punctual at school and read their textbooks, do their assignments and any other duty related to their educational journey. Finally, the community should take particular interest in the activities of the schools. Opinion leaders and old students should continue to play their watchdog role and insist on continuous improvement in the total resource of the schools.

It is when each actor in the educational system plays their role that, we can collectively demand accountability from each player and ensure that there is considerable improvement in the education sector. IFEST will continue to offer policy options and criticize constructively to shape public policy in the field of education. At the end of the day, our desire is to achieve inclusivity, equity and quality in the education sector.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the good people of Ghana. We admonish all students on vacation to take extra care of themselves and use this break to reflect on their lives on campus, their academic work and the future they so much desire.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.
Peter Partey Anti
(Executive Director)