Returning Schools To Missions Not Solution - GES

Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, Northern Regional Director of Ghana Education Service (GES) has shot down proposals to return Mission/Unit schools to their owners saying that was not the solution.

He however suggested an arrangement where the head of the Mission/Unit schools would be a professional chosen from those missions or units.

Alhaji Haroun was speaking during the opening of the 37th Annual National Conference of the Association of Catholic Heads of Higher Institutions (ACHHI) in Tamale.

The week-long event, which brought together heads of Catholic higher institutions, is on the theme: “The Place of Unit Schools in the Administration of Education in Ghana Today: The Way Forward”.

Participants would among other things elect new executives to steer the affairs of ACHHI.

The proposal to return Mission/Unit schools to Mission/Unit to manage has long been advocated by religious bodies that had established schools in the country.

Alhaji Haroun commended mission schools for their hard work, which ensured high academic standards and discipline amongst their students in the country.

He said mission schools continued to remain preferred institutions for many students urging them to maintain the standards

He said government cherished the contribution of mission schools to the provision of education in the country.

Reverend Father Michael Elorm Gbordzor, National President of ACHHI expressed dissatisfaction about the returning mission schools to them.
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He said “What we see is struggle for power between Church/Unit and State and this trickles down to the various levels of management; education managers at the national, regional, district and local/school levels; who has authority and who does what?

He spoke about the Free Senior High School policy of the government saying current challenges such as non/or delayed payment of government subventions to the sector should be addressed first to signal that the policy could be implemented.