Ministry of Education is weakening the GES – IFEST to MoE
Institute for Education Study (IFEST) has expressed concern regarding what it termed attempts by the Ministry of Education to weaken the Ghana Education Service, consciously or unconsciously.
The “Ministry of Education is weakening the GES” concern was disclosed in a press release signed by Peter Anti, the Executive Director.
IFEST indicated that the Ministry of education is gradually juggling the role of policy formulation and implementing agency, which is making the GES look inefficient in carrying out its mandate.
It cited the controversial GALOP $1.2M scandal as a clear example of how the ministry is sidelining the GES and making it dormant as an implementation agency. It added that the specific roles assigned to agencies of the education ministry give them the needed authority and power to work.
“Whereas the Ministry of Education has oversight responsibility over all its Agencies, there are specific roles assigned to each of these agencies to enable them to function effectively within the education ecosystem. For example, National Teaching Council has a mandate to promote teacher professionalism; NaCCA is responsible for Curriculum and Assessment issues at the pre-tertiary level; NaSIA is mandated to provide an independent external evaluation of the quality and standards in basic and second cycle educational institutions in the country on a periodic basis, etc.” It stated in its press release dates 30th May 2022.
The GES is responsible for “the implementation of approved national pre-tertiary educational policies and programs to ensure that all Ghanaian children of school-going age irrespective of tribe, gender, disability, religious and political affiliations are provided with inclusive and equitable quality formal education.
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This authority it has requires that “any decision or policy at the Pre-Tertiary level without their input becomes a concern because they are the implementers of all these policies as mandated by law., IFEST added.
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IFEST reminded the general public about four incidences in the education sector that suggest an attempt to weaken the GES and render it redundant in undertaking its mandate in the sector. It called on the MoE to stop undertaking acts that will continue to suggest that the Ministry of Education is weakening the GES.