‘Empower Head teachers to discipline recalcitrant teachers’

Professor Stephen Adei, Former Rector of THE Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration said to ensure quality education; government must empower public school management at all levels to discipline disobedient teachers.

He said public school’s head teachers must have the power to discipline and fire recalcitrant teachers in consultation with district directors, both of whom are to be made accountable for quality output of schools.

Speaking at the 40th Anniversary of Sap’s School in Accra, Prof Adei said government needs to redefine the role of the Ghana Education Service and restricting them to curricula development, inspection and supervision.

He called for decentralization of education governance by returning the management of schools to the Churches and old local authorities to facilitate better decision making, accountability, governance and management.

Prof Adei said nearly two thirds of public school students complete nine years of education and still are functionally illiterate and urged government to provide adequate financial resources, which will not be centrally managed but given to schools and their management directly.

He noted that basic education must be holistic and contextually relevant and incorporate the teaching of civic education into the country’s educational curriculum.

He commended government for introducing the progressive free secondary education and building of 200 public day secondary schools, adding that, these developments will only have marginal improvement in the situation unless certain fundamentals are put right.

Prof Adei encouraged school authorities to aim at helping the students to grow in stature, wisdom and with God’s favour to succeed in their various field of disciplines.

Mrs Sama Grant-Chuku, Executive Director, Sap’s School said the school was established in 1975 and registered with the Ghana Education Service as a grade ‘A’ private basic school.

“As a Christian school, the school focus is not only on academic work, but also on moral, spiritual and social education that has helped to attain laudable heights” she added.

Mrs Grant-Chuku said since the inception of the Basic Education Certificate Examination in 1987 to date, the school has always made 100 per cent passes with distinction.

She noted that, at the introduction of school rankings in 2009 by the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Directorate, the school was rated 3rd among the 155 private schools in the Municipality, and that, from 2010 to 2013, the school was ranked 1st among the private schools.

Mrs Grant-Chuku said the school had participated and excelled in numerous competitions, including the Citi FM Write Way Contest, where the children’s skills in creative writing are put to test and the Model United Nations Conference, winning the International Best Delegates award in Washington D.C.