The Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has responded to critics who claim education under the current government has taken a nosedive, saying that facts in the sector suggest otherwise.
“I think it is wrong for anybody to say that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has rather destroyed education in Ghana,” Dr Adutwum said at the 12th congregation of Jackson University College (JUC) in Kumasi.
A total of 1,276 students graduated after completing their bachelor’s in early Grade Education, French Education, and the General Programme.
This brings to 19,435 teachers trained by the College since it was established 15 years ago through distance learning.
The Minister, who was delivering a speech as the keynote speaker, said the level of transformation the education sector had undergone in the last seven years should attract commendation and continuity from the government.
He said it was disheartening for political actors to ignore the achievements of their opponents even when they were conspicuous and impactful because of partisanship.
He emphasised the need for Ghanaians to embrace a new kind of politics where the achievements of others are acknowledged and built upon rather than deliberately destroying opponents for political advantage.
The Minister said for the first time in the history of the country, high schools are set to offer courses in aviation, aerospace, robotics, and engineering, among others.
“This is the kind of transformation going on in our education sector and I want us to unite as a nation and do something better for ourselves and that is what we are doing at the Ministry to improve learning outcomes,” he assured.
To demonstrate the kind of school environment the government is trying to create going forward, the Minister showcased the designs of new classrooms coming up across the country in both basic and senior high schools.
All the modern classrooms, according to the education minister, come with well-equipped science and ICT laboratories, offering both teachers and students the best facilities for academic work.
“These are the kind of school environment we are trying to create to facilitate effective teaching and learning where teachers will own and manage their classrooms,” he told the graduating teachers.
Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, Principal of JUC, said the College was established to give hope and a brighter future, especially to the ostracised and less privileged in society.
“Since its establishment in 2009, we have been working tirelessly to provide an education that focuses on the social, emotional, mental, spiritual, and cognitive development of our students,” she stated.
She said the transformation of lives, excellent performance and discipline were the hallmarks of the College, which also leverages technology to augment teaching and learning through virtual classrooms and e-learning systems accessible on smart devices and computers.
She disclosed that JUC was partnering with NIIT India to improve students’ knowledge and competence in ICT.
“We train our students extensively in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
These are not just software tools, they are essential skills in the modern digital world,” she said.
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