SOCO PROJECT: MDAs URGED TO ALLOCATE BUDGET FOR EDUCATION NEEDS
The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, has tasked the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies to channel some resources under the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion Northern Regions (SOCO) Project into education.
He said schools in Districts across the region lacked basic educational infrastructure and other relevant teaching and learning materials to improve on education delivery in the region.
He said 50 percent funds should be invested in education, and cautioned that any budget plan under the SOCO Project which fell short of provisions for the educational sector would not be approved by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).
The Minister said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the RCC, Alhaji Inusah Abubakari at 13th Quadrennial Delegates Conference organized by the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) in Bolgatanga.
He described education as the pivot around which all other development activities evolved, and stressed the need for the region to invest the needed resources to brighten the future of children.
He reminded stakeholders about the consequences of neglecting the educational sector, saying “In future our children will become armed robbers and social deviants and this will not inure to the benefit of our region.”
Hon. Yakubu expressed worry over pupils performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the region over the years, and blamed it on absenteeism, laziness at work and indiscipline on the part of pupils.
He said a Committee of retired Education Directors and Head teachers would be formed to deliberate on the worrying trend and fine solution to the problem.
He further expressed concern about the poor attitude of public officials to work, saying that some workers across all sectors went to work three times a week and that management would soon come out with drastic policies and decisions to address the problem.
The General Secretary of TEWU, Mr. Mark Dankyira Korankye called for efficient and the enabling environment for non-teaching staff across institutions to deliver on their mandate.
He mentioned some challenges of TEWU members including deductions in their required number of annual leave days, and urged school managements to desist from such practices.
Mr. Korankye said the situation where qualified members of TEWU were denied managerial positions just as the teaching staff, was unacceptable.
He used the occasion to call on managements of Senior High Schools to fully implement the free medical check up for the kitchen staff noting that their members would no longer pay for any of such medical screening exercises.