By Frank Kwame Abbor
Ho, July 30, GNA – Reverend Dr Frank Kofi Agbo, the Founder and Executive Director of Kharistar International Academy, has urged Ghana to prioritise quality, relevant education, to accelerate national development and prepare learners for future opportunities.
Rev. Agbo made the call at the Academy’s Fifth Anniversary and Fourth Graduation Ceremony in Ho on the theme: “The Quest for Quality and Relevant Education for Development: Ghana in Perspective.”
He said while Ghana had expanded access to education through the Free Senior High School policy ( Free SHS), the country must now concentrate on improving learning outcomes and equipping learners with practical and digital skills.
“Ghana’s development will rise or fall on the quality of education we give our children today,” he said.
He noted that although more than 1.6 million students had benefited from the Free SHS policy since its introduction, challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, delays in funding, shortages of food and poor boarding facilities, threatened the sustainability of the programme.
“The deeper crisis confronting Ghana’s education system is quality,” he stated, adding that several students entered SHS without basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Rev. Agbo observed that the Competency-Based Curriculum offered the right direction by promoting critical thinking, entrepreneurship, STEM and digital literacy.
However, its implementation continued to face setbacks because of inadequate teacher retraining, obsolete ICT facilities, insufficient science laboratories and limited teaching materials, he said.
He stressed that education should prepare learners “not merely to pass examinations but to succeed in life.”
Highlighting the Academy’s contribution over the past five years, Rev. Agbo said Kharistar International Academy had deliberately invested in academic excellence through ICT integration, robotics, STEM education, leadership development, counselling, public speaking, project-based learning and continuous teacher development.
He announced plans to establish a modern science laboratory, a state-of-the-art library, a boarding house, Kharistar High School, an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and a College of Education.
He proposed reforms including aligning Colleges of Education with the Competency-Based Curriculum, appointing education professionals to head the Ministry of Education, extending Senior High School education to four years and enacting an Education Curriculum Act to minimise frequent curriculum changes.
Again, stable education policies would enable Ghana to produce graduates with the competence required by industry and national development, he said.
Mrs Gloria Ama Agbo, the Principal of the Academy, said the school’s focus on counselling, educational management and student welfare, had contributed significantly to its growth over the past five years.
She reaffirmed management’s commitment to nurturing learners who combined academic excellence with sound character, leadership and innovation.
Mr Edem Kofi Kpotosu, the Member of Parliament for Ho Central, urged parents to play active roles in their children’s education, saying education extended beyond classroom instruction.
“Education is different from schooling. Parents must help their children discover their God-given potential because qualification opens doors, but competence takes people further,” he said.
He encouraged students to remain disciplined and committed to academic excellence.
Mr Benjamin Teye Larweh, the Deputy Head of Public Affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the guest speaker congratulated the Academy on its fifth anniversary and encouraged students to work diligently to realise their full potential.
Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, the National Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), commended the Academy for promoting quality private education and called for stronger partnerships to improve learning outcomes.
The ceremony brought together educationists, traditional leaders, clergy, parents, students and other stakeholders, to celebrate the school’s achievements and renew commitment to transforming education in Ghana.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo