Two students die, three others hospitalized at Kumasi Academy

Two first year students of Kumasi Academy are reported dead after being rushed to the hospital on Thursday.
The students died at the KNUST hospital, where they were taken to after being taken ill for showing symptoms of fever.
Three others are said to be on admission for the same illness, which is yet to be disclosed.

The two are said to be a General Science and Business students.
Earlier this year, in April to be precise, four students lost their lives after an outbreak of meningitis.

This generated fear and panic on campus with parents and guardians storming the school to have their wards taken home .
Parents storm the campus in April to take their children home
Some of the students claimed the deaths were spiritual.

Coincidentally, the recent deaths come on the eve of Kum Aca’s golden jubilee to be held on Saturday.

More to follow…

Source: 3News

Gov’t in talks with WAEC over change in WASSCE date to May

Ghana’s Education Ministry says it is in talks with the West African Examination Council in a bid to extend the date for writing the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) beginning 2018.

In a statement issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh during the Meet-The-Press series on Thursday, November 30,2017.,the Minister explained that the purpose of the supposed extension was to ensure that the full nine terms of teaching and learning are fully exhausted by students as required by the syllabus.

According to the Minister, the change is expected to improve results for final year students since they would have adequate time to prepare.
“The SHS syllabus is for nine terms, three terms in a year, so we envisage that by the time the child has finished the nine terms, he or she would be ready to take the West African Senior School Certification Examination. The West African Senior School Certification Examination starts in February, which is the second term, and finishes just the first week in the third term, so it means that the whole of the second term they lost teaching and learning to exams and they never had any teaching and learning for the third term. Meaning that three terms out of the nine wasted, so it was six terms they were using for a syllabus that said nine terms. No wonder the results were poor.”he exclaimed.

He also indicated that the Education Ministry has met WAEC over the issue and is hopeful that the examination will no longer begin in February but May in 2018.

Source :EducationGhana.net

Teachers cry over unending theft cases in Wa

Teachers in Dorimon in the Way West district of the Upper West region are complaining bitterly of the continues theft cases in the district which is affecting their works as teachers in the district.

Some of the teachers have complained of how their items including mattresses, home appliances and even sandals get stolen when they travel during holidays.
According to one of the teachers,his mattress and bedsheet were stolen and when he laid a complain nothing was done so he issued a threat to take an oath, after some few days these items were found in a nearby bush.

Another teacher said his shoes were stolen also and when he threatened to take an oath these sandals were later returned but he refused to push the case further for personal reasons.

In a related story by upperwestmedia.net, when the website contacted Ababasa , assembly man for the area , he lamented, “we are aware of the disturbing issue, most teachers have reported similar cases to us but when we insist on pursuing the issue further they resisted”.
The Assembly member also directed the also the issue of increasing crime rate to the few number of police officers they have in the area.

“When there is a problem, what we do is to contact the wechiau patrols which is situated far from here if something can be done about that, am not satisfied with the number of police officers we have and besides some are not performing their duties”.he stated.

The teachers lamented on the adverse effects of the theft cases on academic work at Dorimon Schools because teachers don’t have interest in working there.

Source :EducationGhana.net

KTI and Islamic SHS in bloody clash at INTERCO leaving 5 Students in Critical Condition

At least five (5) students of the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi have been wounded Thursday evening after clashes broke out between the students of Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) and Islamic Senior High School.

Abusua FM’s Osei Kwadwo reported that there was a little misunderstanding between the students at Baba Yara Stadium during the Inter- Schools Competition on Wednesday November 29, 2017.

The angry KTI students the following day stormed the promises of Islamic senior high school and started throwing stones on the players of Islamic Senior High when they arrived in their school leading to five students sustaining injuries.
The students of Islamic Senior High went for cutlasses in the school to protect themselves from KTI students, threatening to storm the KTI campus and retaliate.

It took the timely intervention of the Police to save the situation and calm tempers. The students of KTI who perpetrated the attack are yet to be identified after the incident.
The five (5) affected students of Islamic Senior High are receiving treatment at the First Care Hospital.

Source :EducationGhana

Compulsory NSS insurance must be reviewed – NASPA

Some National Service Personnel are asking the National Service Scheme (NSS) to reconsider its decision to compulsorily deduct GH¢ 15 from their allowances for an insurance package.

They want the insurance payment to be optional and not mandatory for all service personnel.

Following the launch of the insurance package earlier in November, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Ussif Mustapha, in a circular this week, directed all regional directors to deduct GH¢ 15 from the GH¢559 monthly allowances of service personnel beginning this month.

But speaking to Citi News, the NASPA president for Awutu Senya Municipal, Luis Kwame Anane said the decision is arbitrary and must be reviewed.

“Even though it is a congress decision, all the service personnel are against it. I suggest that the outgoing NSS and the necessary stakeholders listen but if they want to face the outrage of personnel of people picketing and refusing to go to work and cause that mayhem before they react, it will be bad because they need to be proactive.”

“Listen to the voice of the people. When you look at accommodation and employment issues of personnel, delay in [payment of] allowances and all that, they should look at policies that that will address these concerns. That is what they should focus on,” he said.

About the NSS Insurance Package

The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.

This compulsory insurance package, spearheaded by various insurance companies, is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.

The claims vary from GH¢ 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GH¢3,000 for cases of disability.

As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GH¢ 500 loan which is payable within six months.

But some service personnel have kicked against the package, saying that it is being imposed on them. According to them, they were not informed about the package before it was formally launched.

They also expressed disappointment that it was not made optional but compulsory.

Source: Citifmonline

NUGS Commends Govt’s Efforts To Ensuring Quality Education

The National Union of Ghana Students yesterday had their 51st Handing Over ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre after the 51st Annual Residential Congress held at Methodist University College, Dansoman Campus.
This ceremony saw major stakeholders, alumni and dignitaries attending not forgetting the very students the union seek to serve.

The ceremony saw the likes of the Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Adutwum, the Gender and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Mustapha Ussif, the CEO of NEIP, Lawyer John Kumah, Justin Kodua of YEA, Director of GETFund, representatives from the Scholarship Secretariat, Students Loan Trust Fund, Information Ministry, Security services, the press corps, alumni of the union, and members from the various institutions and blocs under NUGS under the chairmanship of the CEO of NEIP, Lawyer John Kumah.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Education Minister together with the Gender and Social Protection Minister charged the union along the same lines: the union must stand for what it stood for and be more vibrant as it was in the past and ensure that the union serves its core mandate to the very people they seek to serve.

The outgoing Secretary, Mr. Akwasi Agyemang also charged New executives to serve the interests of the students they seek to serve and ensure that the right things are done. He added that, the struggle continues but it is up to new executives to live above the struggles and make the union better.

The newly sworn-in President, Mr. Elisha Oheneba Essumang commended Government’s efforts in ensuring that education is accessible to all. He further reiterated that, the union’s core mandate is to ensure that education be a right and not a privilege to help all have access to it and was therefore grateful that the government was committed to ensuring that this is achieved.

He commended the government over their decision to absorb the registration fees of BECE candidates in the Junior High Schools. He further commended the government for their decision to increase the Capitation grant by 100% from the initial 4.50p to 9 cedis as announced by the Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori Atta in the 2018 budget statement.

The union led by the President also commended the Ministry of Education’s ” Basic Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (BSTEM)” program to be introduced in all basic schools which would solve the technological and digital gap between Ghana and the developed states in the near future which they intend to embark on beginning from next year and further welcomed the Ministry’s commencement to review the Basic level Curriculum to emphasize on the 4 R’s (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic and cReativity). Indeed, literacy, numeracy and creativity are the bedrocks of modern education and we cannot survive as a nation without them.

The union further commended the government for the all time best Educational Policy; Free SHS Policy which has not only increased the enrolment of students into the various SHS but also lessened the burden of parents who sometimes had to go for loans and pass through frustrating moments to send their wards to school.

We commend the Ministry of Education for this life saving and enhancing policy and the union supports the call by some concerned citizens and leaders of the nation to challenge philanthropists of Education, donors, corporate bodies, and everyone who can to help fund the Free SHS/ TVET policy and that a realistic percentage of our GDP, 10% of import taxes and about 30-50% of oil revenue be considered to help sustain this great policy.

While keeping our eyes on this outstanding initiative by the government of Ghana to ensure its sustainability and the help deal with the challenges it comes with-there is nothing without challenges especially in its early stages, we as the union that speaks for All students want to also send a note of caution to all saboteurs of this marvellous policy to refrain from such habits.

The students of Ghana and the youth alike will not take it easy with any person or group of persons who would want to belittle, fight or destroy this all- time important policy. Without mincing words, we shall not hesitate to clamp down such enemies and foes of the nation.

The union also commends government’s effort to scrap off the 25% corporate income tax paid by privately owned and managed universities and we call on the stakeholders of the various private universities to drastically reduce their fees to reflect the change. We further commend the restoration of the Nurses and Teacher Training allowances by the government.

Source: Starrfmonline.com

GH¢15 NSS deduction for insurance to start in November

The Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), has directed all regional directors to ensure the deduction of Ghc15.00 from the allowances of all National Service Personnel effective this month [November], as part of the implementation of the compulsory insurance package for personnel.

The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.
This compulsory insurance package spearheaded by various insurance companies, is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.

However some personnel have kicked against it, calling for an optional package.
The claims vary from GHc 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation, and gh3,000 for cases of temporary disability.
As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.
The compulsory insurance package will also provide free MTN data calls and monetary incentives for personnel and their next of kin.

A circular sighted by Citi News has charged regional directors to deduct the amount before submitting payment vouchers.

“I am directed by the Executive Director to inform you that the National Service premium deduction will take effect from 1st November 2017. You are required to deduct GHC 15 monthly premium from all National Service allowance before submitting the payment vouchers to the internal audit. Please treat as urgent and comply.”

A former Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, Dr. Michael Kpessah Whyte, had said that the introduction of the insurance package for National Service personnel is purely an attempt to enrich some persons fraudulently .

According to Dr. Kpessah Whyte, who was speaking on Eyewitness News, the motives behind the sudden introduction of the insurance policy by the current management of the NSS were unclear, suggesting that it was certainly not for the benefit of the service personnel.

“We have several insurance companies in this country and that presupposes that insurance is good. In insurance studies, we actually say insurance is a necessary evil. It is a very good thing, but insurance has to be bought only when it solves particular risks or addresses particular contingencies. To that extent, what the National Service Management is doing which the greatest respect to them, is not solving any problem. In other words, they are not clear on what they want to do and the problem they want to address with this policy,” he noted.

Credit: Citifmonline

Payment of Teacher Trainee Allowances Underway

The Management of the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has been closely following media reports that seem to suggest that teacher trainee allowances are not being paid.

We take this opportunity to inform the general public and our immediate stakeholders that payment of teacher trainee allowances started in October 2017 for the 2017/18 academic year.

Prior to the reintroduction of the allowances, the Students Loan Trust Fund which is now mandated by Government to disburse the allowances held extensive consultations with the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) and the Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana (TTAG) to agree on the modalities for payment.

The SLTF also visited all 41 Colleges of Education who are benefiting from the allowance to educate the trainees on the conditions they need to satisfy to benefit from the allowance. For trainees to benefit from the allowance, certain conditions must be met by the trainee and by the College of Education in which s/he is enrolled in. The trainees must be duly registered in the academic year in their institution. In addition, the trainee must obtain a SSNIT number and an E-zwhich account number onto which the allowance is paid electronically. The College of Education must in turn forward a list of all eligible students to the SLTF for verification and payment.

The following is an update of the process so far:

Allowances for October and November have been disbursed to all colleges that presented school lists on time. 28,467 students have been paid as at 24^thNovember 2017.For those colleges that presented their lists late, payment of both October and November allowances is being paid this month.There have been some challenges with the data of some students including presentation of wrong SSNIT numbers, misspelling of names, wrong ezwhich numbers, and duplication of student data. Once these anomalies are corrected, the affected students will be paid all their outstanding allowances.Many colleges are yet to present complete data of their first year students. Once this is done, they will be paid their outstanding allowances.By the agreed timetable with stakeholders, allowances are payable at the end of every month in which trainees are in school.

The SLTF is committed to putting in place a rigorous disbursement system that will protect the public purse and serve its stakeholders efficiently.

Credit: Myjoyonline

Video: Police brutalise KATANGA Hall students

The police in Asokwa have been captured on video brutalising students from the KATANGA Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology after a Luv FM Old School’s reunion on Saturday.

Some police officers were seen slapping and kicking the students at the Tech junction in Kumasi after an alleged clash between students of the KATANGA Hall and their colleagues from the Unity Hall.

Helpless, as these students looked, the police will take no plea from them and on lookers as they slapped and dragged the students into a waiting police van.

Eight students who were arrested by the police have been released on bail.

Click the link below to watch the video
https://youtu.be/AjOMVNW7NM4

Credit: 3News

Free Bus Piloting Is Not Favoring Us - President Of UCC Disability Student Association

The President of Disabilities Student Association of University of Cape Coast [UCC], Atubi Abraham, has expressed his displeasure at the free busing piloting system launched by the Student Representative Council [SRC] two weeks ago.

According to him, measures have not been duly put in place to address the challenges of students with disability as they currently have to struggle to board these buses.

To expose the gross extent of the issue, he disclosed in an exclusive interview with ATL FM News, that a physically challenged student was denied getting on board for he had a wheel chair with him, which according to the drivers will occupy space in the bus.

Despite the challenges, Mr. Atubi Abraham commended the SRC for the initiative but called on them to look into the situation, proposing that security persons be allocated to the various bus terminals to ensure discipline.

He further urged the students to be selfless and take into consideration the situation of persons with disability when getting on board the buses.

Source: ATL FM News

Yilo Krobo SHS Suspends Female Students Indefinitely for meeting Boyfriends at Night

The Yilo Krobo Senior High School at Somanya in the Eastern Region has suspended 15 of its Form 3 Students indefinitely on different charges.
According to document sighted by EducationGhana.net , the 15 students comprises 9 girls and 6 boys respectively.
According to reports, 7 of the girls who supposedly in their final year were suspended indefinitely on the charges of meeting their boyfriends at night.
One of the girls was also suspended for sending nude videos to her boyfriend who happens to be a student of the same school.
Another girl was suspended for over staying her exeat .
On the part of the boys, 5 of them were suspended for meeting their girlfriends at night and one was suspended for receiving nude videos from his girlfriend.
The degree of punishment meted out to the students has been met with public ridicule, as many believed it was too much .

Source : EducationGhana.net

Unpaid utility bills threatens exams at Takoradi Technical University

The Takoradi Technical University in the Western Region has said that it is saddled with utility bills so much that if the government of Ghana does not come to its aid, examinations in the school will be disrupted.

According to the chairperson of the university’s council, Dr. Henrietta Abane, the inability of the government to honour its promise of absorbing the bills, particularly the electricity bills, has brought series of disconnection threats from the utility providers.
Speaking at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the Takoradi Technical University, Dr. Abane appealed to the government to honour its financial obligations to the university.

She said “government’s promise to absorb, in particular, the electricity bills of the university has not been honored; consequently, we are sometimes faced with threats of disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana during examination periods…these bills threaten academic work”.

Other challenges confronting the university, according to Dr. Abane, includes the lack of funds from the Ghana Education Trust Fund [GetFund], to complete ongoing projects in the university.

She said “a number of GetFund projects have stalled, so I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to facilitate payments from the fund to ensure completion of these projects”.
Others are that, the university acquired a site at Akatakyie in the Ahanta West District. where the African Development Bank and COTVET, have developed five infrastructural projects for a TVET campus for the Faculty of Engineering.
“These projects are expected to have a counterpart funding from the government. Whilst the first stage of building infrastructure is ready, the second stage of fixing equipment has not been met because government has delayed to release its counterpart funds”.
The university at its 2nd graduation ceremony conferred Bachelor of Technology degrees on168 students, whilst 1,657 received Higher National Diplomas.

88 Civil Engineering students also received the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations, NABPTEX certificates.
In all, a total of 1,913 students graduated.

Source: Atlfmonline

Unpaid utility bills threatens exams at Takoradi Technical University

The Takoradi Technical University in the Western Region has said that it is saddled with utility bills so much that if the government of Ghana does not come to its aid, examinations in the school will be disrupted.

According to the chairperson of the university’s council, Dr. Henrietta Abane, the inability of the government to honour its promise of absorbing the bills, particularly the electricity bills, has brought series of disconnection threats from the utility providers.
Speaking at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the Takoradi Technical University, Dr. Abane appealed to the government to honour its financial obligations to the university.

She said “government’s promise to absorb, in particular, the electricity bills of the university has not been honored; consequently, we are sometimes faced with threats of disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana during examination periods…these bills threaten academic work”.

Other challenges confronting the university, according to Dr. Abane, includes the lack of funds from the Ghana Education Trust Fund [GetFund], to complete ongoing projects in the university.

She said “a number of GetFund projects have stalled, so I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to facilitate payments from the fund to ensure completion of these projects”.
Others are that, the university acquired a site at Akatakyie in the Ahanta West District. where the African Development Bank and COTVET, have developed five infrastructural projects for a TVET campus for the Faculty of Engineering.
“These projects are expected to have a counterpart funding from the government. Whilst the first stage of building infrastructure is ready, the second stage of fixing equipment has not been met because government has delayed to release its counterpart funds”.
The university at its 2nd graduation ceremony conferred Bachelor of Technology degrees on168 students, whilst 1,657 received Higher National Diplomas.

88 Civil Engineering students also received the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations, NABPTEX certificates.
In all, a total of 1,913 students graduated.

Source: Atlfmonline

Voting Begins for National Students’ Awards 2017

The 2017 edition of the National Students’ Awards is scheduled for December 16,2017.
The Award is meant to expose the hardworking students in all Educational Institutions in the Country, bringing together students from the Basic Schools to the Tertiary Institutions.

In a statement released by the organizers of the event and copied to EducationGhana.net , it has been announced that voting for nominees begins Monday ,November 27,2017 and ends on
December 16, 2017 at 12:00noon prompt.
This year’s awards is anchored on the theme: “ Education, the cure to the Modern-Day Slavery of Human Trafficking”
The awards will bring together students across the country; from the basic to the tertiary level, Vice Chancellors, Headmasters/Principals, Ministers of State, Top Government Officials, NGOs on Human Rights/Trafficking, Diplomats, Traditional Leaders, Business Owners and Managers who are passionate about education.

The venue is the Great Hall of the University of Ghana and the date is December 16, 2017 at 6:00pm.
Please visit our website: www.nsaghana.org/polls to cast your vote.
Voting is free and all that you need is a phone or computer with internet access.

Source :EducationGhana.net

Presec, Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Wesley Girls, Prempeh et al to be cancelled from Free SHS program?

Ghana has about 872 Second Cycle Institutions of which 66% (575 schools)are government controlled or state owned.

The interesting thing is that majority of these state owned schools which constitute the 66% are also missionary schools.
Missionary schools like the Presbyterian Boys School, Mfantsipim School, Wesley Girls High School, T.I Ahmadiyya, Adisadel, St. Augustine’s, Prempeh College were taken over in 1984 by the government.

President Nana Addo, who promised an absolutely free Senior High School education in the immediate past national elections kept his word by implementing the policy against all odds, a generous gesture for which majority of Ghanaians should benefit immensely once the logistics are properly managed.
However, I have concerns that this free education policy might not be quite robust as it appears that Nana Addo must have taken Ghanaians for ‘fools’ because he recently took the ‘U TURN’ to promise the release of the FULL control of the missionary schools (which constitute the majority of the state owned institutions) back to their original owners.

Does this ‘SMART’ move mean the free Senior High Schools (SHS) education policy might no longer cover students of those institutions as they now qualify to be called PRIVATE institutions?

This development, as a matter of fact will cushion or absorb the serious financial burden that the government might be carrying on its shoulders.

The Ministry of Education must come clear on what precisely it means by FULL control of the missionary schools by explaining the amount of power yielded to the these missionary schools because now , this paints a picture of a 419 and would be the biggest fraudulent scandal perpetrated by the government in broad daylight as it appears they are running away from their responsibilities.

Already the free SHS education policy has faced some challenges. It only covers fresh form 1 students and this has no bearing with the “free SHS education for all” campaign which the NPP government preached.

The policy doesn’t even cover form one students who had the need to repeat the year on accounts of poor academic performance. People are still studying under harsh conditions, some students are struggling with a place to sit and these challenges affect a great deal the quality of our education.

From the foregoing it will be very prudent for government, for the avoidance of doubt in the minds of well meaning Ghanaians to set out the modalities in the takeover of missionary schools vis-a-vis its next line of action as far as the implementation of the free SHS policy is concerned.

Source: GhanaCrusader.Com