The next National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government will expunge Comprehensive Sexuality Education from the school curriculum to protect the moral sanctity of children.
As part of broader measures to reform education, it will expand and refurbish educational facilities to ensure that all eligible children especially those in under-served areas, with the necessary support and incentives to remain in school.
The next NDC Government under John Dramani Mahama as President and Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as Vice President will increase budgetary allocation to basic education to enhance teaching and learning activities.
The NDC stated in its Election 2020 People’s Manifesto under the sub-heading; “providing globally competitive and quality education,” that it will provide pre-school facilities closer to markets, ministries, and city centres to ease the burden of child-care on mothers and promote productivity while the children learn.
The NDC said it will encourage the private sector to invest in pre-schools and recreational facilities for their workers; ensure quality learning through the allocation of teachers, and improved pedagogy.
It will provide appropriate learning spaces, provision of teaching and learning materials, ensure effective supervision, motivate and support teachers to deliver and create opportunities for out of school children to receive an education while encouraging the application of the right entry age to school.
The NDC said it will raise levels of numeracy, literacy, self-esteem, and responsible citizenship by extending opportunities to market women, commercial drivers, labourers and head porters ‘Kayayei’ through an extended Complementary Basic Education based on more flexible school hours.
The next NDC government will increase engagement with schools through community, regional and district offices; traditional and religious leaders, unions, among others as a commitment towards the more efficient use of existing structures.
It will set up a panel of experts to conduct a thorough assessment of the current curriculum and make recommendations on the way forward with the view to improve standards, address distortions and bridge the quality gap between public and private basic schools.
It will embark on a rapid roll-out of modern technological learning tools to transform the scope and nature of education at the basic level.
It will also restore Arabic studies in the new curriculum, and proceed to recruit Arabic teachers, thereby, lifting the current ban.
On secondary education, the NDC seeks to make the Free Senior High School Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced.
It will expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved or deprived areas; abolish the double-track system; complete abandoned structures for secondary and technical education including E-Blocks to cater for current students and expected increase in admissions.
It will strengthen and sustain private participation in the delivery of secondary education; ensure newly created regions have functioning directorates of education; and commence the construction of at least one Senior High School in districts.
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