Day: June 28, 2024

The National Labour Commission has refused to hear the case between the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the government for refusing to call off its strike.

This is because the Commission said CETAG had flouted its directive to call off the strike.

The National Labour Commission (NLC), on Thursday, June 20, after meeting with stakeholders, directed CETAG members to call off their strike.

Both parties were to appear before the Commission on June 27 for a hearing, but the meeting could not come on because of CETAG’s inability to call off the strike.

Mr Prince Obeng-Himah, President of CETAG, said in an interview that the Association could not call off the strike because the employer was to present evidence of compliance with their concerns to the court on June 26, which it failed.

He said the Court had scheduled July 18, 2024, for both parties to appear for hearings.

The strike is aimed at pushing the government to meet CETAG’s demands, including the payment of one month’s s
alary to each member for additional duties performed in 2022 and the application of agreed rates of allowances payable to public universities to deserving CETAG members.

Mr Benjamin Arthur, the Chief Executive, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission(FWSC) on Friday June 14, 2024, during a press briefing, described the indefinite strike by CETAG as illegal and borne out of bad faith.

The FWSC said CETAG was in breach of the agreement signed with the government on May 22, 2023, where both parties agreed to resort to the NLC to address any disagreement.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Africa West Area, in collaboration with the Ga Manste Foundation, has renovated the Mantse Tackie Tawiah I Cluster of Schools in Adabraka, Accra.

The project, fully funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aimed to provide better educational opportunities for pupils in Adabraka and the surrounding area.

The newly refurbished school now boasts state-of-the-art facilities that will provide students with a better learning environment.

Classrooms have been upgraded, new educational materials provided, and essential amenities installed to support the holistic development of the students.

The Mantse Tackie Tawiah I Cluster of Schools now features a newly built library with over 2,000 books and a state-of-the-art ICT center with 40 fully installed computers.

The project included the renovation of the 12-unit Mantse Tackie Tawiah block, the 6-unit Liberty Avenue block, the Mantse Tackie Tawiah KG block, and the Liberty Avenue ICT Laboratory and of
fice.

Additionally, a new astro turf football pitch with a 60-seater spectator stand, an 8-seater toilet facility with urinals and girls’ changing rooms, and a 100-seater canteen have been constructed.

A 20-seater toilet facility was also renovated with the school’s perimeter upgraded with a new fence wall, improved drainage, new pavements, landscaping, a new security post, and an upgraded entrance.

Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Africa West Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expressed joy in seeing the project come to fruition.

‘We are honoured to support this vital initiative that will impact the lives of many children in this community,’ he said.

He said education was the cornerstone of a bright future, and ‘we are committed to helping provide the resources needed for these children to succeed.’

‘Successful completion of the Mantse Tackie Tawiah I Cluster of Schools renovation is ample proof of the power of collaboration and the impact of community-driven initiatives,’ he a
dded.

Elder Nielsen expressed the hope that as the students and teachers of the school step into their new and improved environment, the foundation has been laid for a brighter educational future in Adabraka.

Nii Kwartei Titus Glove, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, said it was a day of great delight seeing the advancement of education through enhanced infrastructure.

‘This is consistent with our agenda to make education accessible to all Ghanaians,’ he noted.

Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, the Member of Parliament for the Korle Klottey Constituency, commeded the collaborative efforts that made the renovation possible.

‘This is the most dramatic transformation of any school I have personally witnessed. This project is a shining example of what can be achieved when communities and organisations come together with a shared vision,’ she added.

The MP said the refurbishment of the school would undoubtedly have a lasting positive impact on the children’s education and future prospects.

King Tackie Teiko
Tsuru II, whose vision and dedication drove the project, said, ‘This renovation is just the beginning. I have many more dreams for the Ga State, and with the continued support of our development partners, we will achieve them.’

He said every child deserved the opportunity to receive quality education and realize their full potential.

The project, which began on August 2, 2021, during the King’s 50th birthday, stemmed from his commitment to enhancing the educational infrastructure for the children in his community.

Instead of a lavish birthday celebration, the King chose to spend the day with the students of the Mantse Tackie Tawiah I Cluster of Schools.

Shocked by the dilapidated state of the school, he pledged to renovate it to provide a conducive learning environment.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Ghana Chapter, has engaged actors within the education sector on its digitised gender-responsive pedagogy (GRP) platform which serves as professional development model.

The GRP basically is about approaches or methodologies that are gender responsive in addressing issues of girls and boy in a fair and dignified manner during teaching and learning and other schools related activities.

The engagement which took place in Accra brought together officials from the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education, NaCCA, teachers, heads of schools amongst others.

Its purpose was to let stakeholders understand that the GRP platform exits and need to integrate it into national policy, national teaching curriculum and courses at Colleges of Education and universities.

The GRP tool-kit is a course that consists of two parts where there are GRP 1 on Teaching and learning and GRP 2 on Gender-based violence.

It consists of 12 units and a quiz at the end of each unit with a
final test after completing Part II of the course and to generate a signed certificate, to answer correctly to at least 80 per cent of the questions.

Mr Richard Amoani, National Coordinator for FAWE Ghana Chapter. said, the digitised GRP platform was a tool-kit that could scale up learning outcomes because it promotes that equal and conducive atmosphere devoid of gender biases, fear and intimidation within the school setting.

‘We should address girls and boys the way we should taking into consideration their needs. We should look at them as people having different needs and therefore the tools and the methodology to reach out to them should not be the same,’ he said.

He said the toolkit was developed at the African level and had the content of different countries within the 34 chapters that FAWE operates in Africa, adding that continuous engagements would help tailor it to address the issues within the Ghanaian context.

‘UNICEF West and Central Africa, International Institute of Capacity Building of UNESC
O at the African level have partnered FAWE Secretariat and with collaboration from the Education Ministry and Curriculum Assessment Development Unit, gender responsive pedagogies will be an integral part of education,’ Mr Amoani said.

He said policy makers, parents, caregivers, TVET, apprentices, craftsmen and women at the Community level would also be engaged, adding that ‘within one year we will collect enough information and together with Ghana Education Service, we will roll out the digitised GRP in the middle of next year or by 2026.’

Dr Mercy Nyamekye, Acting Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, NaCCA, after participating, said the digitised GRP ought to have approaches that could accommodate every learner in the class, adding that teachers after going through the model should have gender clubs in their classrooms.

‘At the community level, we should produce a parent guide of about 12 pages where five pages should be full of illustrations and graphics to explain the images. Daily text messag
es on gender responsive issues on what to do and not to do be sent to parents,’ she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

One thousand, three hundred and forty-nine (1,349) candidates from 53 basic schools within the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region are expected to participate in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The exercise will take place at seven examination centers, Mr Ferdinand Amuzu, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service in Keta, told the Ghana News Agency at Keta on Friday.

Forty-two public and 11 private schools would participate, he said, adding: ‘Schools in the area have begun camping their candidates ahead of the exams to hold extra classes and encourage the spirit of group studies.’

Mr Amuzu urged the candidates to remain resolute amidst rumors of cancellation of the examination and stay focused.

He cautioned them to shun any acts of examination malpractice by strictly abiding by the rules and regulations governing the exercise to avoid any punishment.

‘My only advice is that they should not entertain any form of fear. The examination is just to test th
em on all that they have gone through academically.’

Mr Amuzu commended all headteachers and their staff for the preparation so far and urged them to keep guiding the candidates to the end.

Checks by the GNA revealed that the Keta Municipality has recorded a significant downfall in the performance of BECE.

The area recorded 31.8 per cent in 2019, and 23 per cent in 2020 with 14.6 and 20 per cent in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Some BECE candidates the GNA spoke to expressed optimism and readiness ahead of the examination.

Meanwhile, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that the 2024 BECE would commence from Monday, July 8, to Friday, July 12 with an additional session on Monday, July 15, for candidates offering Arabic.

Source: Ghana News Agency