Dr. Prince Hamid Armah
The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, has stated that increased access to secondary education was critical in increasing enrollment, reducing poverty and fostering economic development, particularly for the deprived child.
He said access to secondary education also ensured gender equity for the girl child, allowed them to stay in school for a longer time as well as advance their socio-economic status.
The Executive Secretary of NaCCA was speaking at the 61st Speech and Prize giving Day of the Takoradi Senior High School in the Effia-Kwesimintsin Municipality of the Western Region.
The day was on the theme: “Facilitating Access to Secondary Education: A necessary Tool for National Development “.
Investment in Education
The NACCA Executive Secretary said so far the government has invested GH₵12 billion in the free senior high school project with over 1.2 million children now accessing senior secondary education.
He said improving the human capital of any nation was tantamount to its spate of development and that Ghana has adopted to invest in its people for a brighter future, “at least, we are all having a bite of the national cake through this policy “.
Gender Parity
Though the gender parity index had over the years favoured men in terms of access to secondary education, he indicated that the free SHS would act as equalizer ensuring more girls stay in school.
Dr. Armah said women have a remarkable influence in the society and the socio-economic growth of every nation and that expanded access to secondary education could help develop the capacities of more women to effectively play their roles in their homes and societies at large.
Curriculum Reforms
On the issue of Curriculum Reforms, he stated that NaCCA was working earnestly to produce revised Senior high school curricula for implementation by 2020.
On text books for the Basic level, he indicated that the development of the Teachers Resource Pack was to act as a stop gap to challenges anticipated while publishers develop books to fit the various introductions and changes in the curricula.
Mrs. Sally Nelly Coleman, the Effia Kwesimintsin Municipality Director of Education, urged parents to appreciate the reforms which sought to make school children more in tune with changes in their environment and how best they themselves could contribute to problem solving in their communities.
She also encouraged them to regularly visit the schools to engage with tutors and support in buying books and other learning materials for elective programmes.
Mrs. Coleman on the other hand, urged all the students to make good use of the free senior high school education offered them and come out as best for other future prospect.
GNA
