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Kofi Asare is Newly Elected Chairman of Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition

By Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri
General News Kofi Asare delivers his acceptance speech
DEC 17, 2018 LISTEN
Kofi Asare delivers his acceptance speech

Kofi Asare has been elected as Executive Chairman of the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) for a 3year term.

He takes over from Bright Appiah, the outgoing Executive Chairman who has served the Coalition for 10years since 2008.

Mr. Asare, who is Executive Director of Action for Rural Education (ARE), has 16years experience working with local, national and international agencies to promote quality public education.

Two others, Mrs. Dorothy Konadu, a former Education Advisor of Actionaid Ghana and Mr.Rex Eleblu, a Finance Consultant were elected as Vice Chairperson and Treasurer of the Coalition.

Their election took place at the Coalition’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 14th December, 2018 at the Institute of Local Government Studies in Accra.

A newly constituted 15-member Executive Council was sworn in by Mrs. Florence Bobi, a former Director of Education and Board Member of GIMPA.

They include Mr. Mike Owusu, Nana Kwaku Nketsia, Mrs. Martha Jonah, Mr. Haruna Abedi, Mr. Benjamin Lartey, Mrs. Marian Fynn, Mr. Gaskin Dassah, Mr. Joseph Homadzi Mr. Frank Awuku, Mr. Bonaventure Mwinnasung, Mr. Mark Nabia and Ms. Veronica Dzeagu.

Speaking to ModernGhana on the sidelines of the event, Kofi Asare poses strong commitment in his effort towards quality education in the country.

He noted that the recent engagement with Government by the Coalition on Inclusive Education is to ensure that no child is left behind the basic education ladder.

“BECE results shows a declining trend at the basic level and so the key issue is how we can partner Government to increase quality and better learning outcomes,” he stated.

According to him, Government’s double track system for the SHS is also affecting the quality of education at the secondary level.

“The Double Track system is affecting the quality of education in the secondary schools. The fact is that instructional awares on paper have increased but very minimal on the ground,” he stated.

Mr. Asare intimated that Government need to roll out a clear roadmap that will guide its implementation strategies to help eliminate the ambiguities and bottlenecks in the double track system.

“We need to have an immediate roadmap so we can be clear in our minds when the system will end. The results that this double track system will churn out will not be surprising to us because of the lack of infrastructure. Despite the 1.5billion raised by Government to invest in infrastructure, we still do not have a roadmap as to how these monies will be used. We hope that as we progress we will find common grounds to address these myriad of issues in the sector,” he posited.

Mr. Asare added that the class size is also challenge which does not permit participatory learner-based atmosphere due to the huge intake.

On inclusive education, the newly elected chair calls on government to also consider increasing effort towards children with learning disabilities by training teachers with the knowledge and skills to provide special attention to those kids in the classroom.

“About 10percent of Ghana’s population have some forms of learning disabilities. What should take you 3minutes to absorb takes another 10minutes is also a disability. And so we need to mainstream inclusive education but then it is also expensive. That’s why in times past, Government have paid lip service to special education. The Special Education Division at the Education Ministry is the most under-resourced department which tells you how serious we are as nation towards inclusive education,” Mr. Asare stressed.

He urge Government to go back to the Inclusive Education Policy which was passed two years ago as its remains the cure to the challenges in inclusive education in the country.

The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) is a civil society network of non-governmental organizations, professional groups, education research institutions and practitioners promoting the right to quality education for all Ghanaian children.

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Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri
Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri

Editor

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