SCHOOL HEADS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT LACK OF TEACHERS (PAGE 31)

STORY: ZAKARIA ALHASSAN, TAMALE

THE eighth session of the Joint Northern Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High/Technical Schools has ended in Tamale with concerns raised over the inadequate number of qualified teachers and the limited educational infrastructure, as well as teaching and learning materials in the three northern regions.
They also bemoaned the growing practice of encroachment on school lands and the lack of means of transport for most schools and headmasters in the area.
The members further observed that the continuous “late release of grants, and even if released, are in bits, resulting in suppliers quoting prices at the time of payment which are usually higher than at the time of contract agreement, thus reducing the value of the grants.”
These were contained in a communiqué released after a day’s conference in Tamale at the weekend.
Pertinent issues discussed included peculiar problems faced by schools in the north, sharing ideas of common interest in education and matters raised at the national conference.
The conference also served as in-service training for members to update their knowledge and skills in school administration.
The members also noted that the inadequate or the total lack of specialised teachers to teach subjects such as Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was impacting negatively on the development of education in the regions.
Other concerns expressed included the habit of some parents and guardians attacking teachers who attempted to instil discipline in their children and wards respectively at the least opportunity and the lack of in-service training for school heads to upgrade their knowledge to reflect modern trends of administration.
“This is a clear picture of education in schools in the three northern regions for which we entreat the government and other stakeholders in education to come to the aid of the schools,” the members appealed.
They further intimated that when the bottlenecks were removed, it would facilitate the meeting of the objectives of Education for All by the year 2015, thereby bridging the widening gap between the north and south.