Educational system needs effective decentralization – SNV

GNA – Ghana needs to effectively decentralise her educational sector to achieve the high quality of education delivery most of her citizens crave for, a research has revealed.
The research conducted by SNV-Netherlands Development Organization, a Dutch based organization that focuses on capacity development, also enumerated the lack of an effective monitoring system in the educational sector as one of the causes of low quality in education in the country.
Mrs Sarah Agbey, Educational Advisor at SNV-Netherlands Development Organization, at a workshop to validate the research findings and discuss the way forward in the Dangme West District said there had been a downward trend of performance of students in the district hence the research.
Among the research findings was the lack of a participatory approach to teaching and learning in the district, pointing out that students should be given the opportunity to appraise their teachers.
She said about 63 percent of teachers in the district are unable to effectively utilize their contact hours with the students due to absenteeism or lateness.
Another cause to the low quality of education in the district was the unavailability of facilities such as libraries, potable drinking water and toilet facilities for the children.
Mrs Agbey explained that some of the pupils they interviewed, also attributed the low quality education to the frequent use of the cane by teachers as a disciplinary measure and advised teachers to minimize canning in schools.
She advised that quality education was a potent tool that could break the cycle of poverty and ensure sustainable development and advised parents to be more involved in the education of their children.
Mr Keita Amagoiun, SNV-Netherlands Development Organization, Country Director, said education was an essential part of his organization’s strategic planning towards development and noted that the Dutch embassy in Ghana also viewed education as one of the important tools of development.
He therefore pledged SNV-Netherlands Development Organization’s support especially in the implementation of the research findings in the area of capacity building.
Mr Amagoiun said his organization also worked in the health, tourism and agricultural sectors, explaining that those sectors were closely linked and could contribute to the overall development of the country.
Mr Emmanuel Abuanor Nortey, District Coordinating Director of the Dangme West District, acknowledged the poor standards of education in the district and said education should be able to provide the country’s human resource needs.
He said basic education should be prioritized since it is the foundation of the whole educational structure.
GNA