"Let�s Promote Quality Education"- Minister

Mr Eric Opoku, Ashanti Regional Minister has called on stakeholders in education to work together with total commitment to enhance the quality of the country�s education. Ghana, he said, is acknowledged for the quality of its education in Sub-Saharan Africa, and that, everything should be done to sustain and build on the achievement. This was contained in an address read for him at the opening of the 39th annual Conference of Managers of Educational Units (COMEU) in Kumasi on Tuesday. �The educational partnership between the government and the religious and other bodies in the decentralised policy- the way forward�, was the theme. Mr Opoku underlined the critical importance of education to national development and urged all to ensure that the youth gets the best of tuition. He lauded the significant contribution of the missions and urged them "to stand with government every step of the way" to raise academic performance. He spoke of the government�s determination to leave �no stone unturned� to ensure increased access and equip schools with adequate teaching and learning materials. The Regional Minister said although there were some challenges, these could be surmounted through cooperation and support of all the people. Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, former Ashanti Regional Director of Education, urged the government to come out with a white paper on the report of the committee set-up to review the 1999 partnership agreement between it and religious bodies on education. This, he said, would remove the misunderstanding that had long existed between them on how to run the schools. "By so doing, the appointment, transfer or postings of staff would not bring problems between directors of education and managers of mission schools," he said Mr Peter Yaw Frempah, the COMEU President, expressed worry about what he said was confusion clouding the running and management of mission schools, especially in the areas of appointment, transfer of staff and funding. He said these needed to be tackled with some urgency.