The Director of Legal Affairs of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe has chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration for mismanaging the country’s public education.
Reacting to the decision by the Ghana Education Service to commence the 2023/24 academic year for senior high schools on December 4 2023 despite various concerns from parents across the country, Lawyer Tamakloe accused the New Patriotic Party administration of poorly managing the public senior high school education in the country since the implementation of the government flagship free senior high school policy.
According to Lawyer Tamakloe, President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration have failed to provide a policy framework for the free senior high school since its implementation in 2017.
“Look, the day-to-day administration and running of the schools, President Akufo-Addo is not interested. Some of us but for education, I wonder where I would have been and so anything that affects education I am interested in that conversation”.
Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe
GES Criticized Over The Interdictions Of Heads Of Senior High Schools
Again, the opposition National Democratic Congress Director of Legal Affairs lamented over the decision of the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to interdict heads of some secondary schools in the country for allegations of flouting its directives.
He argued that the decision by the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to interdict the various heads of the secondary schools in the country on account of some of them taking unapproved fees from students and parents is unwarranted.
According to Lawyer Tamkloe, the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service should have simply directed the various heads of the secondary schools who engaged in such conduct to refund the fees charged rather than interdicting them.
“What exactly is the crime if a headmaster or headmistress says the student should pay SRC dues and that warrants interdiction? Dr Adutwum, we were hear not long ago when an allegation was made against him with the World Bank money, was he interdicted by President Akufo-Addo? I mean how do you interdict a headmistress for asking students to buy a hymn or to pay SRC dues? That is why I’m saying that Adutwum and his boss, President Akufo-Addo do not have the benefit of running these schools”.
Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe
Moreover, Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe justified the need for the payment of some of the fees charged by the heads of the various secondary schools in the country
He argued that due to the government’s inability to disburse money allocations meant for the provision of essential services for the various secondary schools, it has become imperative for the various heads of these secondary institutions to find alternative means to manage their schools.
“I mean they are just sitting somewhere here at the Ministry of Education in Accra and how a teacher in Nkwanta secondary schools manages the kids there, they don’t know. Do you know the role the PTA plays in keeping the running of most schools? I mean how in God’s name do you think a head teacher would want to undermine his or her authority as a head teacher by doing something that on the face of it is illegal, No it is for the smooth running of the schools. In fact, in some instances, I saw a headmaster who was punished because he asked students to pay for fuel and that is why I am saying that this interdicting of the headmistress and headmasters is PR.
“This government is running the country on public relations. So you interdict the teachers and you say the district directors of education should take over the schools, and I have friends, colleagues and PTA Chairmen who are helping in the management of these schools and it is not a joke. In some instances, the teachers are having to bear the brunt of students at the risk of rioting in the schools”.
Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe
Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe concluded by urging the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to immediately revoke the interdiction of some heads of secondary schools in the country and ensure their reinstatement accordingly.
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