Accra, Nov. 8, GNA – The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) says, to ensure that Kindergarten places are available for all four-year-old children; the government started the construction of 163 Kindergartens out of which 77 have been completed to date.
The NPP Government also instituted measures to ensure that teachers who upgrade their qualifications and skills are promoted promptly and their salary increases take immediate effect.
The Party explained that previously, teachers who upgraded their qualifications and skills were not recognised and promoted on time; “there were several years of bureaucratic delays.
“Due to our reforms, now the waiting period before the promotion of teachers who upgrade their qualifications and skills is halved to two years. Waiting period for all others is four years; and for the first time in history, teachers are being paid a professional teachers allowance”.
The NPP Election 2020 manifesto under the sub-headline; “accounting for our stewardship – Education,” said it has reactivated the original aim of linking Technical/Vocational Institutions to Technical Universities to refocus technical education at the forefront of the One District, One Factory programme.
The NPP said 80 institutions have been accredited to run Competency-
Based Training (CBT) programmes; Engage Technical Universities to run CBTs.
To support TVET education, “we are building 32 state-of-the-art TVET centres, and we have introduced a Basic STEM (B-STEM) programme to provide science labs in all basic schools to enhance the teaching of STEM subjects from an early age.
The NPP explained that to ensure that all teachers have ICT competence; now its study is compulsory in all Teacher Training Colleges.
To date 313,250 basic school students have been introduced to basic coding; introduced at 25 SHSs and equipment supplies in progress.
The government has also provided appropriate and adequate infrastructure and learning facilities to accommodate expansion and ensure conducive teaching, learning, and research in tertiary institutions.
The NPP said a US$1.5 billion loan, of which US$500 million has been disbursed, to develop educational infrastructure. “Massive infrastructure development across educational institutions currently ongoing.
“We have completed the construction and commissioning of Phase One of the Somanya campus of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) for which a sod was cut in December 2016 by the National Democratic Congress Government”.
In addition, the NPP Government has secured funding for Phase Two of the campus and cut sod for construction to commence.
Collaborate with GNAT, NAGRAT, and others to facilitate an affordable housing scheme for teachers to construct 100,000 housing units for teachers and other education professionals.
The Research and Innovation Fund Bill has been gazetted and will be laid before Parliament; introduce Arabic as an optional language to be taught and examined at the JHS and SHS levels.
It has been included in the ongoing JHS and SHS Curriculum review. When completed, Arabic will be introduced as an optional subject.
Wherever possible, provide facilities to enable disabled children to be integrated within regular schools.
Inclusive Education Policy adopted, and teacher training curricula covers inclusive education, and popularise the teaching of French and improve the delivery of the subject.
Bilingual Schools established, six Colleges of Education equipped with French Labs and Resource Centres; 54 SHSs equipped with French Language Resource Centres, and primary four to six French Language Curriculum developed.
Improve ICT facilities and curriculum of ICT Curriculum approved and rolled out; discussions are ongoing for the distribution of tablets to JHS and SHS students.
Under an ongoing programme, “we have expanded the network of libraries from 61 to 72 as at March 2020, and have renovated over 50 per cent of the existing libraries. We have also rolled out a digital platform for accessing library content”.
“We abandoned the three-month pay policy we inherited for newly-recruited teachers, and have cleared the legacy arrears; Clear the backlog of promotions and introduce new promotion exam for transparency”.
The NPP said “We are constructing 20 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) centres across the country. We have increased the capitation grant from GH¢4.5 per pupil to GH¢10.00 per pupil for Primary
Schools.
“Government has procured 1,190 vehicles made up of 350 buses and 840 pickups for SHSs”.
The NPP said the Government has invested $219m aimed at improving learning outcomes in our most underperforming schools under the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).
Under this project 2.3 million children in 260 Districts will benefit; 70,000 out of school children targeted to be brought back on track, and build 76,000 teachers’ capacity in new curriculum and teaching methods.
GNA