STANDARD OF EDUCATION IN TAMALE FALLING (PAGE 11)

THE Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Abdulai Harruna Friday, has expressed grave concern over the dwindling fortunes of education in the metropolis, and called on all stakeholders to step up efforts at reversing the trend.
He noted that schools in the area which were noted for excellent academic performance were now relapsing into mediocrity, resulting in poor performance of pupils and students at their final examinations.
Alhaji Friday cited, for instance, that 43 per cent of pupils and over 61 per cent out of the 4,460 students who sat for the BECE and SSCE in 2008 failed in English language.
He described the situation as unacceptable and partly blamed it on lack of trained teachers.
At the moment, 1,841 of the 4,540 teachers in the metropolis are pupil teachers.
The mayor also mentioned absenteeism and lack of commitment by some teachers as some of the reasons for the fallen standards of education in the metropolis.
He, therefore, urged the education directorate in the area to strengthen their monitoring systems to check on the activities of erring teachers and make sure that they lived up to their responsibilities.
Alhaji Friday further underscored the importance of quality education at the basic level and indicated that majority of students who performed well at the senior school level had a very good foundation at the primary level.
The mayor equally entreated parents and guardians to show more interest in the education of their children and wards not only by ensuring that they attended school regularly, but also developing the habit of visiting them in school to monitor the performance and the difficulties they encountered in their studies.
He noted that the government and donors would not by themselves produce quality education, but that ‘‘the supervisory role, particularly of parents and communities is essential to ensure good education’’.
The mayor also called on teachers, old students, the private sector, religious bodies, among others, to take a center stage in playing the required supportive role, especially in monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in schools.
‘‘Those of us who have had the rare privilege and benefit of education from schools in the metropolis should always remember that to whom much is given, much is expected,’’ Alhaji Friday admonished.