With few months to the close of the year, iWatch Africa can project that it is unlikely the government will be able to honor its commitment.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his commitment to the construction of 20 modern TVET schools. He made this known during a speech at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Ho Technical University over the weekend.

Below is an infographic report:

Report by Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa

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Link here: https://goo.gl/JF72Vt

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The allowance restoration is part of a broader goal to make Colleges of Education freely accessible to all eligible students and train teachers to drive quality education provision.

The previous National Democratic Party (NDC) government scrapped the allowance in 2014, under which nursing trainees received at least GH¢ 450.00 every quarter.

Under the new allowance scheme, the Government of Ghana has budgeted GH¢ 232 million to cater for an expected 58,000 nurses across the country. Each beneficiary will receive up to GH¢ 400.00.

Some students who had already received their September allowance confirmed to iWatch Africa the validity of the president’s claim and expressed their satisfaction that the government had honoured its mandate.

Trainee nurses pay about ₵2000 per semester as tuition. This makes at least ₵4,000 a year. The government is paying ₵400 to cover 10 months of each year. This makes it ₵4,000 in allowance.

Read Also: Government affordable housing for teachers & free Wifi project yet to commence

iWatch Africa will continue to review this policy.

Credit: Policy and Content Analyst | Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa

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The Government of Ghana committed to providing free Wifi to enhance learning and research in secondary and tertiary institutions across the country in the 2017 Budget Statement.

iWatch Africa nationwide review revealed that this commitment is yet to see the light of day though we can confirm that several tertiary institutions in Ghana have in place the necessary internet infrastructure for their students.

Our checks also revealed that plans by the government to provide affordable housing scheme for teachers across the country was far behind schedule as at the third-quarter assessment of the government mandate.

The President in an April address at the University of Winneba reiterated his government’s commitment to delivering on their mandate.

“Government intends to facilitate teacher training nationwide, as well as special incentives for them, such as support for teachers to acquire their own homes, in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of Teachers, NAGRAT, and other teaching associations to facilitate an affordable housing scheme for teachers,” the President stated.

Our checks however revealed that little had been done to make this commitment a reality as at September, 2017.

Read Also: Ghana’s public debt stock rises to ¢138.6 billion

Ghana faces 1.7 million housing deficit according to available housing data at the Ministry of Works and Housing.

Gideon Sarpong | Policy and Content Analyst | iWatch Africa

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The government released GH¢280 million out of the GH¢486 million required for the flagship program to commence.

iWatch Africa survey of the program’s impact in the lives of the beneficiaries has revealed a strong support for the program among parents and students.

Below is a summary of schools visited by our regional correspondents;

Visit to Ashaiman Senior High School

The free SHS program is ongoing in Ashaiman Senior High in the Ashaiman district. Students expressed great joy for the introduction of the free SHS program. In some of their submissions they stated that the program will help students who hitherto couldn’t have continued their education after completing Junior High School due to financial constraints.

Madam Margaret Hammond, a parent also expressed her delight and gratefulness to the government for the free SHS policy which has brought her a huge financial relief so far as her ward’s education is concerned.

Visit to Aggrey Memorial Senior High School

Mrs. Lydia Bagya, whose ward Nadia Amartei Fio got an admission to Aggrey Memorial Senior High school stated that, she is very much excited about the free SHS because she did not pay schools fees or buy a school uniform for her daughter.

Most parents confirmed they are not paying school fees and they feel a burden has been lifted of them. Some of them kept hailing the President for the initiative.

Visit to Ghana National Senior High School, Cape Coast

Mr. Mawuto Wayem, whose ward Comfort Wayem got placement in Ghana National Senior High School to read General Arts also stated that so far the free education is running smoothly.

According to Mr. Wayem, the program has benefited him because he doesn’t get to pay his ward’s school fees; meaning he gets to save his money.

He further argued that the free SHS policy would be quality because of the aggregates they are accepting, insisting that it will challenge students to learn well.

Read Also: Free SHS: Adisadel College yet to receive Funds for Food and Logistics – Headmaster

The major challenge facing the free SHS program which many have voiced concern has to do with sustainability of the program and a clear guideline from the government as to where it will find money to fund the program moving forward.

The free secondary education implies the absorption of all approved fees currently charged to students in public Senior High Schools by the government.

Amanda Okpara, iWatch Africa Central Region Correspondent and Andrews Adih, our Greater-Accra Regional Correspondent filed this report.  (Gideon Sarpong edited and contributed to it.)

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Our assessment of the Performance Report revealed that, out of a total of 37,717 kindergarten teachers in Ghana as at 2016, 12,851 representing 34 percent are not trained.

Though this figure represents a drop of 1,362 in the number of untrained teachers when compared to 2015 figures, we believe that more can be done to improve the quality of teachers employed in our schools.

We also discovered that out of a total 97,046 teachers at the primary school level, 21,386 are not trained teachers which represents over 22 percent.

Kindergarten education remains very critical in the educational journey of a child as it prepares the child to build a base for his future education and help develop a child’s inner skills and personality.

Government of Ghana as part of its commitment to the development of kindergarten education in Ghana made a number of commitments in the 2017 Budget Statement which does not directly address the challenge of untrained teachers at the kindergarten level.

The government has committed to provide KGs in 1,171 primary schools without Kindergartens across the country in the next four years, with a specific commitment to construct over 200 of these kindergartens beginning in 2017.

Read Also: Office of the Presidency overspent budget by over GH¢ 3 billion in 2016

iWatch Africa survey has revealed that government’s commitment to build 200 kindergartens in 2017 will likely not be met as the project had not commenced in the over 100 districts our team visited across the country as at September 2017.

Gideon Sarpong | Policy and Content Analyst | iWatch Africa

(https://www.visitinfinity.com)

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Our review of the enrollment process which began last week in several schools across the Central Region proved that many parents are so far satisfied with the registration process.

The Government of Ghana in its effort to afford all qualified students access to Senior High School education has began the implementation of the free SHS program.

The free secondary education implies the absorption of all approved fees currently charged to students in public Senior High Schools by the government.

Speaking to Amanda Okpara, iWatch Africa’s Central Region Correspondent, Mr. Mawuto Wayem, a parent who whose ward got placement in Ghana National Senior High School maintained that so far the free SHS enrollment is running smoothly.

Read Also: iWatch Africa meets the Minister of Information towards deepening transparency in governance

According to Mr. Mawuto Wayem, the free education has benefited him because he doesn’t get to pay his wards school fees, books and school uniforms, meaning he gets to save his money.

The major challenge facing the free SHS program which many have voiced concern has to do with sustainability of the program and a clear guideline from the government as to where it will find money to fund the program moving forward.

Amanda Okpara, iWatch Africa Central Region Correspondent filed this report. (Gideon Sarpong edited and contributed to it.)

The post Free SHS enrollment running smoothly in the Central Region appeared first on iWatch Africa.

The free secondary education implies the absorption of all approved fees currently charged to students in public Senior High Schools by the government.

Read Also: Education: Mid/third-quarter review of the free SHS policy [Infographic]

iWatch Africa’s Policy and Content Analyst, Gideon Sarpong takes a paranomic look at the free SHS program;

Credit: Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa

The post Video: iWatch Africa third-quarter assessment of Free Senior High School Program appeared first on iWatch Africa.

The Government of Ghana in its effort to afford all qualified students access to Senior High School education has committed to begin the implementation of the free SHS programme.

The free secondary education implies the absorption of all approved fees currently charged to students in public Senior High Schools by the government.

Speaking to iWatch Africa’s Central Region Correspondent, Amanda Okpara, Mr. Yeboah insisted that as an educationist he believes parents with wards in class A schools can afford to pay fees and must be allowed to do so.

He argued that most of the class A schools go for extra tuition in order to make the grades therefore they have the capacity to pay their fees. He also recounted an experience where a single parent offered to pay the fees of up to ten students.

Read Also: Education: Mid/third-quarter review of the free SHS policy [Infographic]

The Assistant Headmaster of  Mfantsipim also argued that for class C and D schools where there are needy but brilliant students, about 15% -20% can pay, the rest may not be able to pay therefore it will be vital to for the government to look at all these dynamics.

The free SHS school program is expected to commence when school resumes in September 2017.

iWatch Africa Central Region Correspondent Amanda Okpara filed this report. (Edited by Gideon Sarpong)

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Construction of the facility started on March 12, 2011 and phase one was commissioned by Ex- President John Mahama. Phase 2 of the project is expected to add 350 beds to the already 650 beds to take the total number of beds to 1000.

The current President, Akufo-Addo has pledged to complete the second phase of the project.

A mid/third quarter review by iWatch Africa has revealed that out of the 8 blocks, 7 have been completed except block 4 and the morgue, which are yet to be completed. Minor construction works in the form of holes for drainage are currently ongoing. Major landscaping is also being undertaken to make the facility more beautiful. The site for the construction of block 4 has been turned into a temporary car park while contractors await approval for funds for its construction.

The medical center is an ultra-modern facility for service delivery, training and research. It will be equipped with state of the art facilities for trauma, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, cardiology, heart surgery, and emergency services with a heliport.

The medical center is expected to focus on academic training of pre-service and practicing health professionals, research and clinical services at a quaternary level. It will house all health institutions of the University of Ghana currently located at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Below are pictures from the project site:

Report by Desmond Kofi Tawiah and Andy Adih, iWatch Africa. (Edited by Gideon Sarpong)

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