Deputy Minister of Education, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, has revealed that a total of 448,641 first year students were enrolled on the Free Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme.
She added that this brings the total number of beneficiaries for the 2023 academic year to 1,320,976 students. Moving the motion for the approval of GH¢29,514,197,713 for goods and services for the Ministry, Twum-Ampofo said to promote TVET, and increase enrolment in Technical and Vocational Institutes (TVIs), the Ministry visited several schools and communities.
A total of 23 TVIs were accredited to implement Competency-Based Training (CBT) with 1,861 CBT learners issued certificates on the National TVET Qualification Framework,” she stated.
For Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, she indicated that in 2023, the Ministry continued the construction of 20 STEM centres across the country as part of the government’s effort to scale up STEM education across the country. The Deputy Minister said a total of five STEM Schools have been completed, and ready for operation.
She named them as Abomosu STEM Senior High in the Eastern Region; Kpasenkpe STEM Senior High in the North East Region; Awaso STEM Senior High School in the Western North Region; Bosomtwe STEM Senior High School, and Bosomtwe Girls STEM Senior High School, all in the Ashanti Region.
Additionally, she disclosed that two STEM centres established in existing schools are ready for STEM education. They are Accra Senior High School (Engineering only) in the Greater Accra Region and Koase Senior High Tech in the Bono Region.
“The Ministry also continued with the upgrading and modernisation of 35 Technical Institutes across the country as part of the efforts to increase access and the quality of delivery of TVET Education in Ghana.
“Government also continued with the implementation of the Voucher Programme in the TVET sector to expand skills training opportunities. A total of 18,087 people have so far benefited from the programme,” she said.
According to the Deputy Minister, 70,000 basic school teachers were trained on Differentiated Learning Approach in Teaching as part of efforts to enhance the overall quality of education and improve learning outcomes in the country.
She also disclosed that a total of 51,508 pieces of furniture as well as 9.5 million Basic School Textbooks and 273,075 copies of Teachers Guide have been supplied to basic schools across the country.
Members of Parliament (MPs) commended the Ministry for the implementation of its programmes during the year. They, however, expressed misgivings about inadequate allocation of funds to the Inclusive and Special Education sector, and asked the Ministry to remedy the situation.
Out of the GH¢29,514,197,713, the Ministry allocated GH¢673,429 to the Inclusive & Special Education sector.
By Ernest Kofi Adu