Gov’t Should Embark On Education Policy Synchronization, Realignment And Reshaping In 2019

With a cheerful heart, the Institute for Education Studies [IFEST] wishes all Ghanaians especially stakeholders in the education sector, students and the media a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

This year has been very eventful and productive for IFEST as we have been heavily involved in discussions towards instrumental national policy frameworks. This year, we took our advocacy a notch higher and embarked on several research activities all aimed at contributing our quota to our development trajectory especially in the education sector. We contributed meaningfully to all major educational issues in the country at various stakeholder platforms and made known our positions on these policies.

The year under review brought about successes and challenges in the education front. In terms of successes, policies like the Free SHS, Double Track, Teacher Licensing and conversion of Colleges of Education to University Colleges among others were all rolled out while the sector continues to grapple with issues of student unrest, teacher misconducts, inadequate resources (human and material) for our educational institutes among others. We are, first, appreciative to God for seeing the nation through such challenges and granting us [the nation] the might to stay united to further uphold our educational sector in high esteem. We further call on the relevant authorities to maintain the high professional standard in the sector and continue to engage stakeholders as we continue to reshape our educational sector for the better.

IFEST wishes to state that, it will stay committed to policy discussions that dominated media headlines in 2018 including the Free SHS, Double Track, Teacher Licensing and conversion of Colleges of Education to University Colleges among others. Ushering into 2019, IFEST would like to call on the government to embark on policy synchronization, realignment and reshaping strategies to back its new interventions.

We demand that government comes out with concrete directives on how to help the academically weak students to catch up with studies. IFEST believes this could be done by introducing well-coordinated remedial measures in our senior high schools and also institute aBi-annual National Assessment programme to monitor the progress of all students. This has become necessary as a result of complains that some students admitted into the country’s Senior High Schools are below par.

IFEST believes that, the year 2019 will see massive investment in the Technical, Vocational and Agriculture training institutes which will serve as the main platform to address the issue of unemployment among the youth in the country. Whereas government cannot, probably, do this alone, IFEST promises to be readily available to offer policy directions and reshaping assistance to government, should the need be, through innovative research. More so, we will continue to use our Edubarometerprogramme to scientifically evaluate various educational programmes and policies in the country.

IFEST calls for support from the general public, corporate organizations, NGOs, philanthropists and the international community to assist us in all fronts to enable us contribute our quota, in whatever way meaningful, to make Ghana's educational system a beacon of excellence.

May the year 2019 be the year of enormous blessings to every Ghanaian. And may it be a fruitful year to our cherished partners, the media.

Signed
Peter Partey Anti
(Ag. Executive Director).
Institute for Education Studies (IFEST)