Category: Education

An Education and Development Consultant, Dr. Samuel Awuku, has called on Ghanaians to set aside political affiliations and rally behind the National Education Forum, emphasizing that the initiative is a collective effort to secure Ghana’s future rather than a political battleground. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, February 25, Dr. Awuku passionately urged citizens to embrace the forum as a unifying national agenda. “I would beg Ghanaians that there’s a point in our history that we can all say this is the right time for us to do things like this and forget about any political ideology which is destroying us,” he stated.

Dr. Awuku highlighted the dangers of excessive politicization in national discourse, noting that constructive ideas are often overshadowed by partisan interpretations. “In a paper I wrote some time ago, I talked about political identity and political beliefs, and how Ghana will be so politicized such that if you make a point, it is linked to a political party,” he lamented.

Drawing on his extensive experience in education reform, including his work since 2013 both locally and abroad, Dr. Awuku stressed that technical expertise should rise above politics. “As a technical person, I remain a technical person. We all have to bear that in mind—that there’s a point in time that we all have to roll up our sleeves and say Ghana first, and make sure that what is needed to be done for Ghana to move forward, we do it,” he said.

Reflecting on his decision to join the National Education Forum committee, he described it as an opportunity to make a real difference.

“When I had a call to join this committee, I said wow, it’s an opportunity to make a difference. And people who know me very well, I know other people in the committee—you realize that everybody is committed to making this happen. There is no political affiliation, no political agenda. It is about Ghana,” Dr. Awuku emphasized. He praised President John Mahama’s call for inclusivity during the forum’s launch, noting the President’s clear message: “Everybody come on board. No single person should politicize this. It must be a national agenda,” Dr. Awuku reiterated.

Sharing a personal anecdote, Dr. Awuku recalled his involvement in the 2017 pre-tertiary curriculum reform, which was initially met with political skepticism. “A couple of days after I was invited to support the reform, some people went and reported to the then Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, that he’s brought an NDC person,” he recounted. However, the Minister’s response left a lasting impression. “He asked them, ‘In the schools, the children there, do they wear any political jersey or identity?’ These are children of Ghana, who need to be developed to have the best chances in life and contribute to national development,” Dr. Awuku quoted.

He urged all Ghanaians to adopt this perspective, stressing that education should transcend politics.

“The day we all realize that when it comes to education, there’s nothing like politics, Ghana will move forward,” he concluded.

Dr. Awuku’s remarks come at a critical time as the nation seeks to build consensus around education reforms that will shape the country’s future.

His plea is clear: “This is Ghana’s moment. Let’s do it together.”

Violence broke out during a peace ceremony between students of Bawku Senior High School and Bawku Technical Institute on Tuesday, February 25, leaving at least five students with severe injuries and several others with minor wounds.

The ceremony was meant to be a ritual spearheaded by traditional leaders in the Kpalwega suburb of Bawku to end violent confrontations between the two schools. As part of the reconciliation efforts, the traditional leaders introduced a symbolic ritual: the burial of the okra stick, a gesture meant to signify the end of hostilities and the beginning of lasting peace. However, what was intended to be a moment of unity quickly turned chaotic.

Tensions escalated, and students from both schools began hurling stones at each other, disrupting the event and leaving many injured. The Bawku Divisional Police Command acted swiftly to bring the situation under control, while the injured students were rushed to Quality and Vineyard hospitals in Bawku for medical attention.

Despite the violence, school authorities and the Ghana Education Service (GES) remained determined to complete the peace ritual.

With the involvement of the senior prefects from both schools, the symbolic burial of the okra stick was successfully carried out, marking a hopeful step toward reconciliation.

Former Amansie South DCE, Clement Opoku Gyamfi alias CID has proposed the use of drones to deliver exams papers to schools across the nation. 
The former DCE, sharing his observations on how some students at particularly the second-cycle institutions suffer during exams due to lapses in the exam process, noted that one of the ways to solve the delays is for the government to adopt the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia drone delivery policy. 
Clement Opoku Gyamfi raised concerns about how some students in the hinterlands are severely affected by decisions by WAEC such as cancellation of exams or when the examination body withholds the papers on suspicion of exam leak. 
He wondered why this keeps happening almost every year and hoped for a lasting solution to the problem.
While suggesting ways to curb this challenge, it was disclosed that there are instances where some of the schools, especially those in the cities, start their exams an hour or more before others.
He believed the drone delivery system will help to nip this challenge in the bud.
“…we also used our drones in all the exam centers, especially the hard-to-reach zones. I am privy to the fact that a place like Drobonso, we used drones to transport the question papers from Kumasi to them and it arrives on time for the students to successfully write the exams”

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has initiated a public survey to gather public opinions on the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and the Double Track System, seeking to assess their impact and identify key challenges affecting students, parents, and teachers. Announced on GES’s official Facebook page on Saturday, February 22, 2025, the survey aims to gauge public understanding of these policies, determine their effectiveness, and explore areas for improvement.

The Free SHS policy, introduced to eliminate financial barriers to secondary education, has been both praised and criticized. While it has expanded access to education, concerns remain about overcrowding, infrastructure constraints, and teaching quality—especially under the Double Track System, which was introduced to accommodate the rising student population. GES is encouraging students, parents, teachers, and the general public to participate in the survey by sharing their experiences, satisfaction levels, and recommendations for reform.

The survey comes as the National Education Forum, a major event reviewing Ghana’s education system, takes place in Ho, Volta Region. The forum, which started on February 18, 2025, has brought together education experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to evaluate the sector and propose solutions. GES noted that the feedback from the survey would be analyzed and incorporated into discussions at the forum, influencing future education policies. The survey marks a critical step in assessing whether Free SHS and the Double Track System are truly meeting their intended objectives or if adjustments are necessary. With education reform at the forefront of national discourse, the responses gathered could play a key role in shaping the next phase of Ghana’s educational landscape.

Starting next week, the Ministry of Education will begin discussions among stakeholders regarding reviews of issues in the education sector. This discussion focuses on the bridge between educational funding and infrastructure gaps and the role of teachers in change in education for a sustainable future.

Professor George Oduro, Chairman of Education Planning and Review Committee. He explained that the debate will consider how the government will increase the funding needed to address infrastructure gaps in the education sector. Professor Oduro said other areas that need to be touched on would improve parental inclusion in teacher wells and school management. “The teacher’s well sits on every pillar and is called to provide accommodation to teachers as it is in the NDC Manifesto as the “teacher’s double”. Therefore, the infrastructure for teacher wells is there.” He said quality control in the education sector is being thoroughly discussed.

“We also deal with quality control and the second pillar will also become quality education. We are committed to basic training, secondary levels, our tertiary formation, TVET, problems, and We look forward to stakeholders in the context of inclusivity being cut,” explained Professor Odulao. He promised that teachers were equipped enough to implement recommendations from the forum.

Knust has approved 50,895 freshmen in grade 2024/2025 with 92,975 applications. Vice-President Professor Rita Akosua Dixon is calling on new students to use academic excellence and digital learning tools. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Knust) welcomed a total of 50,895 newly approved students in 2024/2025. Deputy Prime Minister Knust Professor Rita Akosua Dickson announced this at a virtual registration ceremony, indicating that the university has received 92,975 applications.

However, certain restrictions allowed Knust to only allow 50,895 students, including 11,084 doctoral students and 39,811 students in the basic course. Professor Dixon handled the Immy ceremony and emphasized the importance of the event as an important academic tradition formalizing students into the university. “You meet the admission requirements for this university, and I officially recognize them as junior members of Status Pupillary at Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology.

They are currently knowledge for sustainable development in Africa. Members of the community who are committed to promoting. They acquire the fundamental values ​​of university integrity, innovation, relevance, excellence and management. Professor Dixon encouraged students to use the digital tools and resources available at Knust. She also asked to assist herself from student faculties, Knust Counseling Centre, and other support services to navigate effectively.

Kumasi University of Technology (KSTU) has approved a total of 10,667 freshmen to pursue a variety of research programs for 2024/2025. This number consists of 6,946 men and 3,721 women, with 65.2% connecting 34.8% and 3,721 women. Announced this, Deputy Prime Minister Professor Gabriel Dowamo said that 10,339 students, 259 post-level and 69 international students were concerned this year. He spoke at the 33rd Registration Ceremony for Kumasi students.

He added that the university held its first second registration session on the Adako Jachie campus as part of its long-term development plan. KSTU currently has the faculties of construction and natural environment, entrepreneurship and corporate development, as well as creative art and technology that operates on the Adakojachee campus. Professor Dwomoh described the notice of registration for the contract between learners and the university, recalling the students that such commitments could put academic progress at risk. He said that Ghana’s leading institution as a technical university holds high academic standards and does not undermine its goals to achieve superior services.

The Deputy Prime Minister advised students to take responsibility and build useful networks to position themselves in higher academic achievements. You should avoid any form of investigative defective behavior that could lead to your layoffs. Professor Dwomoh warned students to use social media carefully, describing the room as a “hydrahead monster” that tends to change the target student who was in school. “We acknowledge that social media is a very convenient way of information, but we should consider that it can be a powerful recipe for brewing misinformation and misinformation from the same token is. So, it’s important to filter out the various content you read from social media, so you don’t get abused,” he advised.

St. John Bosco University of Education, located in Nabrongo in the Upper East region, addressed the government to increase its approval quota to accommodate more students. University officials say the current quota is not sufficient, preventing many eligible applicants from getting approved. The 13th Congregation Ceremony brings current director Dr. Rudolph Nyaaba students to increase the number of universities to help generate internally generated funds (IGFs) for development. “We need to raise the university’s enrollment rate to meet the large number of applicants we receive each year. With a large student population, the university can produce enough IGF to support his development needs. “We’ll do that,” Dr. said. Nyaaba.

Dr. Nyaaba also appealed to Ghana’s Board of Higher Education (GTEC) to recruit additional staff, finding that lack of education and non-teaching staff would undermine the university’s operations. The Acting Principal stressed the importance of refurbishing and retooling the college’s laboratories and workshops to enhance the training of science and mathematics teachers. “University laboratories, workshops and equipment are outdated and not working. These facilities need to be urgently renovated to meet the standards of TVET training schools,” he added. 318 trained teachers graduated at the 13th congregation ceremony. The breakdown of the classification was as follows: 18 students who won 18 students, 153 Upper Division Students who received the second class of Grade 28 students from Grade, 3rd Grade 444. Institutions in the Upper Eastern Region are recognized for academic excellence and discipline. It has a strong reputation for producing highly qualified teachers in science and mathematics. Many of them contribute significantly to society. To improve the quality of teacher training in Ghana, universities are obligated to improve the facilities and strength of their employees.

The management of Accra Academy has handed over a student involved in a bullying incident to the police, following a viral video that sparked public outrage.

In a statement addressing concerns over the footage, which appeared to show a student flogging a colleague with a cutlass, the school assured parents and guardians that swift action had been taken.

“The student who perpetrated the act has been handed over to the police for further interrogation,” the statement confirmed.

According to the school, the incident occurred nearly two weeks ago on 17th January 2024, but was not reported to authorities until the video surfaced on social media.

The four students (three third-year students and one first year student) involved who have been named by the Senior High School are all day students. The victims, four first-year students were also named.

As part of immediate disciplinary measures, the school has directed all the perpetrators to stay away from campus while investigations continue.

“The students involved in the act are all day students and have been asked to stay away from the school pending further investigation,” the statement added.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the machete used in the incident was brought from home and was not a school-owned item.

The school’s disciplinary committee is conducting further inquiries into the matter and has assured all stakeholders that they will be informed of the final outcome.