Some Civil Society
Organisations in education, educationists and parents have proposed to
government to double budgetary allocation to the educational sector to provide
adequate dormitories and classroom blocks for senior high schools (SHS) in the
country.
They argued that it would help phase out the
double-track system and reduce congestion in the classrooms and dormitories to
create conducive environment for students to learn and improve on their
academic performance.
They made the proposals at a budget forum on the
2020 education sector budget in Tamale on Tuesday.
It was to collate inputs into the 2020 national
budget and economic policy of the government.
The forum was organised by SEND GHANA with
support from OXFAM in response to the call by the Ministry of Finance for
stakeholder inputs into the 2020 budget statement and economic policy of the
government.
The participants said the double track system
made students to spend more time at home, which was not good for effective
academic exercise, adding that adequate provision of infrastructure at SHSs
would ensure that all students had access to equal facilities to help improve
on education in the country.
They also called for increased budgetary
allocation to equip technical schools to teach students to acquire
self-employable skills to help reduce unemployment in the country.
Other proposals included; the need to promote
complementary basic education to ensure that all children of school-going age
were in school and the establishment of playgrounds at basic schools to
facilitate play method of education for improved cognitive development for
children.
Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, Former Northern Regional
Director of Education, expressed the need for targeted policies in the
educational sector such that specific policies that responded to the peculiar
needs of specific regions would be implemented for improved results.
Mr Mumuni Mohammed, Northern Regional Programme
Manager of SEND GHANA, said the proposals would be harmonised for presentation
to the Ministry of Finance for consideration into the 2020 budget and economic
policy of government.GNA
