Accounting to the people. Page 7 – 12.

So we ended yesterday with some policies the president and his government have put in place to ensure that basic education becomes attractive and accessible in Ghana and how these policies have ensured that Ghanaians have more access to basic education and how more Ghanaians are now going to school thanks to these policies. We will end the discussion on basic education with the policies such as 60,000 laptops distributed to improve ICT education at the basic level, 50,000 basic school teachers trained in ICT, the ongoing distribution of 10,000 made in Ghana sandals produced by the Kumasi Shoe factory which was brought back to life by this very government, ongoing distribution of 500,000 pieces of school uniforms, 15 million exercise books, 30,000 laptops being distributed to schools currently as well as 11,300 mono desks and 20,000 dual desks among others. This accounts given on basic education really confirm that basic education has become very attractive under this government and president Mahama together with his government are ensuring that the future of Ghana is built on a real solid foundation.

Let’s now move to secondary education where the number of institutions at that level shot up from 670 in the 2008/2009 academic year to 840 in the the 2014/2015 academic year. This shows an addition of 170 new institutions at the secondary level representing a 25% increase in institutions at that level which has improved access to secondary education tremendously and has brought about a 36% increase in enrollment as at now.

Over the last 3 years, a total of 1,079 six-unit classroom blocks and 189 two-storey dormitories have either been completed or at various stages of completion. This account is remarkable in just three years.

The ongoing construction of 123 Community Day Senior High Schools will provide space for about 400,000 students who would not have had access to secondary education but for this intervention and some students who had admission to the Prof. J.E.A Mills Senior High School which was the first to be completed out of the 123 schools are living testimonies to this fact. These schools will ensure we see over 20% increase in the number of institutions at the secondary education level and more access to secondary education will be created in the process.

Another policy worth mentioning is the $156 million Secondary Education Improvement Program (SEIP). This program is seeing to the improvement in quality and facilities of 175 existing SHS. The program is also providing scholarships for 10,400 brilliant but needy students as well as capacity building for 6,500 mathematics, science and ICT teachers.

In the 2013/2014 academic year, 200 science resource centres nationwide were equipped with 2,794 items including lab equipments, technical support ICT and audio-visual items. The last phase of the Science Resource Center Projects to benefit 100 more schools is being implemented this year.

We will end with the introduction of the progressively free secondary education program. This program has seen GES approved examination, library, entertainment, SRC, science development, sports, culture and internet fees charged day students being absorbed by government. This is benefitting some 320,488 day students nationwide.

In a nutshell it is evident that at the secondary education level, new schools are springing up to provide access, existing schools are being upgraded and expanded, more people are now getting admission and are being able to afford because government is absorbing the day component of education now and quality of education is being improved remarkably. This is the account given by president Mahama at the secondary education level and it’s our duty to scrutinize it as people who gave him our mandate. Please drop your email address if you need a soft copy of the Accounting to the people book.

We will be back.
#D3 GREEN BOOK