U/W/R: Minister To Engage Stakeholders To Boost Academic Performance

Dr Hafiz Bin Salih

The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, has bemoaned the poor performance of students at both the Junior High School and Senior High School levels in the region, saying it can affect development.

Speaking on Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Radio Upper West’s current affairs programme “Common Course” in Wa on Monday, he noted that he had planned to hold a stakeholder meeting to proffer solutions to the indiscipline and poor performance of students.

Dr Bin Salih indicated that he was committed to improving the standard of education in the region, and stated that “if we are able to have educated more people from the Upper West Region then at the end of the day we will be driving away poverty”.

He cited some illustrious sons and daughters of the region who had become successful people through education, including former President Dr Hilla Liman, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban K. S. Bagbin; Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery and himself now the Regional Minister.

He added that the President Akufo-Addo led government was determined to ensure every Ghanaian child have access to education irrespective his or her financial or social status with about 22, 866 students benefitting from the Free Senior High School programme in the region.

Touching on the double-track system, Dr Bin Salih indicated that 14 SHSs in the region were implementing the intervention to solve the issue of overcrowding resulting from the large intake of the free SHS programme, while ensuring quality teaching and learning.

He however said contracts were being awarded for the construction of additional facilities and was optimistic that the double-track system would face out next year.

The Regional Minister further appealed to the media to be ethical and professional in their reportages that are required to uplift the positive image of the region.

He urges the media to cultivate the habit of cross-checking facts from the appropriate institution to give a true picture of the affairs in the region.

Dr Bin Salih also touched on the other government projects and programmes being implemented in the Upper West Region to improve the lives of the populace, including the Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development among others.

He said the PFJ had improved agricultural production in the region with about 29,349 farmers in the region benefiting from the programme since 2017 to about 117,149 farmers in 2018, with 200,000 projected to benefit in 2019.

The programme, according to the Regional Minister, significantly increased food production in the region from 138,142 metric tonnes of maize produced in 2017 to 169, 969 metric tonnes in 2018.

The Regional Minister added that 8,496 metric tonnes of rice produced in 2017 increased to 14,792 metric tonnes in 2018.