Teachers in the Ashanti Region have hailed the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum for what they described as a historic direct engagement with teachers to learn at first hand their concerns as major stakeholders in the education system.
They believe the initiative by the Minister is the way to go in tackling the core challenges facing the teaching fraternity whose role is critical to achieving the desired learning outcomes as a country.
A cross-section of teachers in the Region expressed their excitement about their maiden encounter with the Minister at a meeting in Kumasi which is the first of series of meetings scheduled to be held across the Regions.
About 1,500 teachers drawn from all 43 districts across the Region attended the meeting, which was put together by the Regional Education Directorate, under the leadership of Dr. Kwame Amankra Appiah, the Regional Director of Education.
Also in attendance were officials of the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service.
According to them, the Minister’s decision to meet teachers is a demonstration of his determination to transform education in Ghana through stakeholder engagement and participation.
They made the most out of the opportunity as they fraternised with the Minister after the meeting, drawing his attention to real problems confronting them in the performance of their duties.
The meeting sought to bridge the gap between teachers and the Minister as part of strategies towards the implementation 21st century educational policies to achieve optimum results.
Dr. Adutwum acknowledged the important role teachers play in the education sector and also underscored the need to resource them to deliver quality tuition in order to produce the right human resource for accelerated national development.
“The future of Ghana is in your hands and we are determined to change the history of this country with your support,” the Minister reminded the teachers.
The Ministry, he said, is pursuing policies geared towards accelerating socio-economic transformation of Ghana, adding that the teacher is at the center of that agenda.
He said education is not an end in itself, but a means to an end where an equitable society is created for the general good of the masses.
“When I talk about transforming basic education, I am talking about getting opportunity for those who may be less privileged to prepare themselves for schools that are perceived to be the reserve of the affluent in society,” he stated.
He expressed his appreciation for the determination and commitment of teachers in Ghana and implored them to work harder to improve learning outcomes as the Ministry take steps to reward their sacrifices.
The Minister said the target at the basic school level is to prepare pupils to be able to handle courses at the second cycle level by providing them with well-equipped laboratories and other facilities required to achieve the goal.
He said government is building smart classrooms in Junior High Schools across the country to create conducive environment for academic work.
Dr. Adutwum, who has been championing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education entreated the teachers to embrace the new direction of education in Ghana to train students who can compete in the fourth industrial revolution.
