Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, says he is not at loggerheads with the head of the Ghana Education Service (GES) over recruitment of headteachers for state-run schools.
Talking to Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (27 July 2022), Dr Adutwum said the ministry will soon hold a stakeholder forum to determine the skillset required for recruiting headteachers.
“I have never been involved in recruiting headteachers,” the minister said. “It is always a GES function. I don’t have problems with the GES. How can a minister recruit headmasters?
“I don’t know where that confusion was. There is no reason why any minister will say, ‘I am in charge of headmasters.’ The GES recruits its own headmasters. The ministry, at the policy level, says: ‘What are the skillsets of those who want to be headmasters?’ ” Adutwum explained.
“We will be having a stakeholder conversation to look at the requirements that headmasters must fulfil to head schools in this 21st century …” he said. “The appointment itself does not, however, lie in our bosom.”
Free SHS
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Dr Adutwum reiterated that the government is not reviewing the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, as suggested in some quarters.
“If the president says that the Free SHS will not be reviewed and the Minister for Finance echoes this sentiment … then, as the Minister of Education, why would I doubt them?” Adutwum said.
During the presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review on Monday (25 July 2022) the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, said the government will continue to fund the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes.
Ofori-Atta also directly refuted earlier claims suggesting that Free SHS and TVET are under review.
“Mr Speaker, we shall not compromise on President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to giving all our children the opportunity to be educated from kindergarten to university without the ability to pay being a hindrance,” Ofori-Atta said.
“Free secondary and TVET education are not under review. We will continue to fund them and we will continue to improve them.”
