JM 2016: Education under President John Mahama

“Education remains the surest path to victory over ignorance, poverty and inequality. This is self evident in the bold initiatives we continue to take to improve access, affordability, quality and relevance at all levels.” President John Dramani Mahama

Sustainable Development Goals 4: Quality Education

Significant progress has been made in the area of education since the coming into office of the NDC Government. Access to education at all levels has increased considerably.

The total number of educational institutions at all levels has risen sharply from 45,447 in the 2008/09 academic year to 57,270 in the 2014/15 academic year, representing an increase of 11,823 or 26%.

Total enrolment has gone up from 7,038,738 in the 2008/09 academic year to 8,891,892 in the 2014/15 academic year, representing an increase of 1,853,154 or 26.33%.

BASIC EDUCATION

President John Mahama’s Basic Education Programme provides equitable access to good quality and child-friendly universal basic education.

This is being achieved through significant improvements in infrastructure, provision of teaching and learning materials, enhancement of quality of teaching, management and supervision of schools, as well as delivery of social intervention programmes.

1. School Infrastructure –

A total of 1,614 out of 2,578 basic school projects have been completed under the Schools Under Trees programme. The remaining are due for completion in the medium term.
A number of teachers bungalows, education offices, sanitation blocks and 203 out of 232 classroom blocks have been completed.

To improve ICT education, 60,000 laptops have been distributed to Basic School pupils in all ten regions of Ghana under the Basic School Computerisation Programme. 50,000 basic school teachers across the country benefited from ICT training.

60,000 teachers, representing 56% of teachers at the basic education level have received career development training. Others include

1,000 teachers have undergone in-service training in line with the objective of improving the teaching of mathematics and science. We envisage that this will help meet the target of 60:40 in favour of the sciences as against humanities at the tertiary level in line with our national development objectives;
Teacher training institutions have been equipped with requisite science laboratories and resources to train 20,000 teachers to improve the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Basic Schools;
Provision of equipment for basic science and mathematics;

We have attained a 1:1 gender parity ratio. Over 92,000 girls have benefitted from the take-home ration programme in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions.

Under the Global Partnership for Education Programme, 55,000 girls in Junior High School are receiving scholarships, school uniforms, sandals, bags and stationery.

To improve on reading at the primary level, a US$71 million Ghana Reading Action Plan (G-RAP) targeting 2.8 million pupils is being implemented.

SECOND CYCLE EDUCATION

Adugyaman Community Day High school (Ahafo-Ano South District, Ashanti Region)

Diaso Community Day High School (Central Region)

Click to see some newly completed High schools

General improvement in secondary education, including the provision of infrastructure, has led to an increase in enrolment from 36.8% in 2013 to 46.2% in 2014.

In addition, the percentage of students with passes from A1 to C6 improved from 19.55% in 2013 to 28.1% in 2014. There are currently 8,578,047 pre-tertiary students at the basic and secondary levels.

To achieve more progress at the SHS level, a number of major policy interventions are being implemented. Among these are:

The ongoing construction of  123 Community Day Senior High Schools across the country will provide space for the admission of about 400,000 additional students, who would have been out of school but for this intervention. This is providing access for JHS graduates at the SHS level.
The US$156 million Secondary Education Improvement Programme (SEIP) has been launched and is progressing. Ongoing under this programme are:

Financing for the construction of 123 Community Day SHS
Improvement in quality and facilities in 175 existing SHS
Provision of scholarships to 10,400 needy students – 2,300 of these scholarships have already been awarded
Capacity Building for 6,500 Mathematics, Science and ICT teachers
Leadership Training for Secondary School Heads.

3. The implementation of the Progressively Free Secondary Education Programme has begun. In this regard, GES approved examination, library, entertainment, SRC, science development, sports, culture, and internet fees charged to day students have been absorbed by Government. This is expected to benefit 320,488 students.

4. In the 2013/14 academic year, 200 science resource centres were equipped with 2,794 items ranging from science and laboratory equipment, electronic equipment, technical support, ICT and audio- visual items. The last phase of our Science Resource Centre Projects to benefit 100 Senior High Schools is being implemented this year.

5. Government has expanded special subsidies to cover more students in Senior High Schools. In addition, over 58,000 bunk beds, 50,000 pieces of furniture, 30,000 computers and 300 small water projects were provided for selected Senior High Schools as at the end of July 2015.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

Our policy thrust at the tertiary education level is to maintain high standards, achieve equity and ensure relevance within the context of producing high caliber manpower able to fit into the world of work and lead the transformational agenda.

There are currently 313,845 tertiary students in Ghana. In 2014, enrolment into all the tertiary institutions increased as follows:

7.1% for universities
3.4% for polytechnics
26.9% for colleges of education.

University of Health and Allied Sciences in Sokode (Volta Region)

President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday November 19, 2015 inaugurated the new and permanent campus for the University (UHAS) at Sokode Lokoe near Ho in the Volta Region.

The university admitted its first batch of medical students in the 2014/15 academic year in a bid to increase the number of doctors in the country.

New Schools including a School of Pharmacy will commence in the next academic year.

The president inaugurating the permanent campus

University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS)

UHAS campus

University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) (Brong Ahafo Region)

Entrance of UENR

The new complex under construction (UENR)

A modern library, ICT complex, laboratory complex and new classroom blocks with offices are underway.

A total of 129 major projects are at various stages of completion in other tertiary institutions. These comprise libraries, administration blocks, laboratories, bungalows, hostels, lecture theatres and general landscaping. Construction work will begin soon on the new university in the Eastern Region, which will be known as the University of Environment and Sustainable Development.

Conversion of Polytechnics to Technical Universities

The NDC Government has embarked on a radical programme aimed at rebranding Technical Education to make it more attractive to the youth. This programme occupies a strategic place within President Mahama’s transformation agenda and it is aimed at driving employment and wealth-creation. This strategy informed his vision to transform our Polytechnics to Technical Universities.

Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET)

In line with Government’s commitment to bring standardisation to the informal TVET sector, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) is rolling out a programme to assess and certify informal artisans.

The first phase will certify electricians through collaboration with the Energy Commission.

Skills Development Fund (SDF)

Under the Skills Development Fund, more than GH¢ 150 million in grants have been provided to 510 grantees made up of institutions, businesses and associations to develop skills and promote technical and vocational training.

Some of the beneficiaries are the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, University of Ghana, Ghana Technology University College (GTUC), Kumasi Polytechnic, Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), KNUST Jewellery Design and Technology Centre, UCC Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Progressive Electronic Technicians Association of Ghana, Ghana National Association of Garages, Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers and the Ghana Association of Electrical Contractors.

University of Ghana:

Government is currently constructing a 617-bed Teaching Hospital to facilitate the training of medical students and nurses at a cost of US$ 217 million

University of Ghana Medical College (UGMC)

Central view of University of Ghana Teachings Hospital

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST):

The following have either been completed or are underway:

Ultra-modern central laboratories equipped with cutting edge equipment such as high capacity nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, mass spectrometers and analyzers;
Ultra-modern Petroleum Engineering laboratories equipped with drill simulators and other state of the art equipment
A new Veterinary Hospital designed to be the most advanced in West Africa; • A new KNUST Teaching Hospital to house the School of Dentistry.