Govt to review policy on second cycle

Page 13, July 3, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tetteh Enyo, yesterday told Parliament that the government was reviewing the policy on the establishment of second cycle institutions with emphasis now on vocational and technical schools.
He told the House that “as part of the review, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service would consult the appropriate authorities on the siting of second cycle institutions”.
The minister made the disclosure when he addressed questions posed to him by some parliamentarians on the siting of second cycle institutions in some parts of the country.
The MP for Techiman South, Mr Simon Addai, had asked the minister what plans the ministry had to establish senior high schools at Nsuta and Tanoso, while the MP for Evalue Gwira, Mrs Catherine Afeku, had also wanted to know plans for the establishment of a senior high school at Gwira.
The minister told the House that it had normally not been the practice of the ministry and the GES to establish senior high schools.
Rather, he said, “it is normally the communities or individuals who take the initiative of starting or establishing senior high schools after which they apply for absorption into the public system”.
However, he gave the assurance that Nsuta, Tanoso and Gwira would be considered for the establishment of second cycle schools when the ministry and the Ghana Education Service decided on the type of institutions appropriate for those areas.
The minister also told the House that to qualify for consideration for absorption into the public education system, a private school must fulfil a number of conditions after it had submitted a formal application for absorption.
Responding to a question posed by the MP for Hemang Lower Denkyira, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo said some of the conditions to fulfil included having the school registered by the director of education in the region where the school was located.
He added that the provisional certificate of registration issued by the regional director should bear the date of registration as well as a registration number which was unique to the particular school.
The minister also indicated that the school should show evidence that it could enrol at least 80 senior high school form one students annually,adding that “the buildings for the school should not be in a rented premises or be in temporary structures”.
Other requirements he outlined included; having an adequate drainage system to ensure good sanitation and healthy environment, an effective waste or rubbish disposal system, facilities for storing water and facilities for alternative power supply.
Responding to another question on the construction of an administration block and an assembly hall for the Jukwa Senior High School, the minister stated that it was the policy of the ministry to complete all ongoing projects before new ones were started.
He said the ministry had compiled all requests for infrastructure from schools throughout the country, and gave the assurance that the request for an administration block and assembly hall for the Jukwa Senior High School would be considered alongside others in due course.