We Have Not Abandoned E- Blocks Projects – Education Minister
The Hon Minister of Education, Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum has re-emphasised that the NPP government has not given up on the construction of the E-Blocks infrastructure started by the erstwhile Mahama administration.
Giving an update on the status of Ghana’s education, he announced that so far, four new structures of the Blocks have been completed in addition to ones completed by this government since 2017 , and they will be used this academic year. He assured Ghanaians that, it’s not the intention of this government to stop the construction of those projects more so when the president places so much premium on education. “The truth is that those schools that were built in the urban areas have been put to use; for instance the Dome- Kwabenya which has been expanded and equipped for use. But some of them are sited in thick forest like the one at Drobonso and other places which is cut away from town”. The minister showed how some of the schools have become ghost ones as a result of the students refusal or inability to attend due to distance , lack of facilities and accommodation especially for the girls.
He told journalists that some of the schools have turned into boarding schools instead of day schools as result of distance and transportation challenges.
“The previous government wanted to construct 200 community Day Schools. 124 was started and they are at various stages. 23 of them were donor funded and were completed but the rest couldn’t be built due to lack of resources. So when people ask me why we are not continuing the Block ? My simple answer is ,where is the money ? But all the same, the government is doing it’s best to complete good number of them”, he promised.
The minister made this statement when he addressed the Media on the latest status of the country’s education at the Ministry of Information in Accra on 30th Jan, 2022. In addition to the E-Blocks, he disclosed that government has also constructed many school blocks dotted around every part of the country like dormitories, administration, classroom blocks, science laboratories,etc. Six new Modern JHS blocks in some parts of the country, SHS blocks to change the face and structure of the JHS education to truly serve it’s purpose.
He further disclosed that 6 new STEM schools are almost completed for use this year. The minister buttressed his speech with pictorial evidence of schools projects across the various levels in the country. He told journalists that if Ghana doesn’t take a leap frog approach approach, it will trail behind and the country needs to do many things in the education sector to be at par with other countries who are ahead of us by 120 years.
“Am happy to announce that the country tertiary enrollment figure has moved up from 18 % to 20 % . Ghana needs to move to 40 % by 2030 and so we must work hard and move faster to meet this target like Canada, South Korea, UK,US etc “. The minister intimated that the president wants quick socio- economic transformation of this country and education is the pathway to achieve that. He mentioned that five new STEM Universities are to be built whiles post SHS TVET programs will be introduced to serve as hands on technical subjects for those who want to acquire Technica skills. Better still there’s going to be avenues for naturally talented person without formal education to trained and encouraged to develop the God given talents. In this regard government is putting up a a creative arts school for talented artistes like the one in Hollywood in the U S.
The Hon. minister touched on almost all the various areas in education from Basic ,JHS,SHS TVET, Tech Universities to Universities.
He posited there is going to be a complete overhaul of the Ghanaian education system to be among the best in the world.
Source: Nana Poku /johnawuniktv@gmail.com
