Ghana ’s Education System “ Very Good” – Minister

Ghana ’s education system is a very good one that needs to be expanded to reach more people , Education Minister Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang has said. Speaking at the 20 th National Best Teacher Awards ceremony in the Central Regional Capital , Cape Coast, Prof Opoku Agyemang
said: “ My own conviction is that Ghana has a very good education system and this education system should get better and reach more
people ” . “ We should focus on three pillars : quality , equity and inclusion”, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast noted. Opoku Agyemang commended Teachers for being “instrumental” in the country ’s efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. She also said though teacher absenteeism has reduced from 27 percent as of last year to 11 percent , there was still more room for improvement .

Homosexual Catholic Groups Press Pope For Acceptance

A section of Gay and lesbian Catholic groups are holding an international congress in Portugal this week as they seek to make their voices heard by the Vatican.
Opening on Monday in the southern resort of Portimao, the three-day event aims to formally
federate some 30 associations representing homosexual Catholics from around the world.
These groups intend to press for an “ urgent change of attitude from Catholic authorities ” towards gay parishioners, said Jose Leote
whose group Rumos Novos ( New Directions) is organising the event.
Their congress coincides with an extraordinary synod which began at the Vatican on Sunday to
review the Church’s attitude to marriage, cohabitation and divorce.
Fifteen to 20 delegates will meet in person in Portugal , with the same number joining in by video conference, to draw up a statement to send to Pope Francis and the nearly 200 bishops meeting for two weeks in Rome.
“ Jesus began with 12, and look at what that has become ,” said Francis DeBernardo , head of the
US -based “News Ways Ministry ” which represents lesbian, gay , bisexual , and transgender ( LGBT ) Catholics. DeBernardo intends to act as a bridge between the congress and the synod that opened Sunday in Rome, where he will also be holding a seminar on the place of gays in the Church.
The US group wrote to the pope a few months ago, thanking him for his openness to discussing LGBT issues and urging him to go
further. “ I think this will be a major question of the synod ,” said DeBernardo. “ The topic of
homosexuality is so widespread in so many societies and it affects so many people , not only those who are LGBT , but their families ,
friends, co- workers. ” The Catholic synod could potentially lead to
change in attitudes to marriage, cohabitation and divorce. While the Roman Catholic Church
is certainly not about to embrace gay marriage, it could send out a signal of compassion by making it clear priests should be ready to baptise the children of same -sex
couples .

NSS Rot Shocking – Owusu Ankomah

NSS Rot Shocking – Owusu
Ankomah

Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Papa Owusu - Ankomah has described the revelations by the Bureau of National Investigation into the corruption in the National Service Scheme as shocking.
He argued that because the National Democratic Congress (NDC ) government has praised itself for eliminating “ ghost names ” on the government payroll system , “so for the nation to be hit with this news is quite a shocker .”
His comments follows a recent exposé by the BNI which revealed the payment of GHC 7. 9 million to 22 ,612 non-existent national service personnel in more than 100 districts in July 2014 .
The NSS boss , Alhaji Alhassan Imoro is also on record for trying to bribe the investigators with huge sums of money in order to cover up
the rot . Speaking on the Eye Witness News on Friday , Papa Owusu Ankoma said the case was a
criminal matter and must not be swept under the carpet .
He also called for investigation into dealings of the Ministries , Department and agencies adding “ I doubt if this will be an isolated case ” and further calling for an immediate investigation into the entire government payroll system to have the loopholes checked .
“ I’m hoping that this will lead the way to a more thorough investigation of our payroll in
respect to the public sector generally. Am sure it ’s quite pervasive and this may well be a gist of the iceberg, ” he said .
The Governing Board of the Ghana National Service Scheme has directed the Executive Director of the Scheme , Alhaji Alhassan Imoro
and all indicted executives to step down to pave way for further investigations. Meanwhile, the Programmes and Research
Officer at the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mary.Awelana Addah has commended the NSS board
for taking such a swift decision.

Electricity Tarrifs to be increased by 6.54%

Public Utility and Regulation Commision announced a 6.54% creased in electricity from 1st of October 2014. This they (purc) say is as a result of inadequate gas and the high cost of crude oil to power the plants and also low level of water in the Akosombo dam. Ghanaians should not think that this will stop the low shedding as stated by the Public Relation Officer of PURC on Peace Fm.

The State of Education in Ghana.

         Its been nearly 20years since Ghana adopted the multy party system of governance and all these political parties boast of huge investment in the educational sector. But I ask, "should education be politicized?"
The standard of education has fallen drastically from performance to infrastructure. The educational system has seen many changes in the past few years thus from 3years to 4years and from 4years to 3years. Syllabus keep changing aswell. The current government made a political campaign with the education of Ghana by promising quality education and the elimination schools under trees in 2012. But the question is "Do we have the quality education as promised on the campaign ground or have all schools under trees been eliminated?" and the answer is a big "NO".
Just recently in the Bosomtwi District of the Ashanti region, I realise that the pupils of Aputuegya study under tree. They are not the only school though but their case unique.  This is because pupils carry chairs from their class to study under trees because their newly constructed classroom which was completed about a year ago cannot be used because it has not been commissioned and pupil still have to sit under trees and study. The only thing that seperate the tree and the road is a gutter and I wonder how they can concerntrate. Also in Greater Accra Region specifically Tupaa M/A primary near Obom has been having classes under trees for some years now and yet we talk of quality education.
Sometimes I wonder if we are really serious about our education as a nation. Before the introduction of allowances in the training colleges, teaching wasn't lucrative thus making the education sector lack teachers. But the introduction of allowances brought back the onces mother of all works. The training colleges started providing the educational sector with over thousand teachers every year. 8,732 teacher trainees graduated in 2012 and has been made possible by the introduction of the allowances. Lets ask ourselves whether this number will increase after the allowances have been scrapped or decreased. How can we talk of quality education when the necessary basic equiment needed like chalks, lesson notes, syllabus, teachers etc are inadequate. And just recently it has been reported that all pupil teachers thus the untrainned teachers will be sacked. There is an Akan proverb which literally means "If the animals who went to graze are not back, we dont send the rest out" but if the report is anything to go by, then it means we are depriving the already deprived schools and pupils, teachers and the quality education they need.
Its high time we get a national agend or policy to guide the educational system in Ghana so that no government can do whatever they want with our education. let us not forget that "The road to someday, leads to the town of nowhere". So we can start from nowhere and get to our destination. Long live Mother Ghana.

by: Nana Kwesi Amponsah Aboagye

Sexy actress Jackie Appiah storms World Cup Commission

Award winning actress, Jackie Appiah will be the special guest at the Justice Dzamefe led Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Ghana's dismal performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on Monday, September 29
at the Media Centre of the Accra Sports Stadium.
The actress has been mentioned as one of Ghana's World Cup
ambassadors paid over $20,000 each on a state-sponsored all-expenses paid trip to the global football tournament in the South
American country in June to supposedly lead cheering of the Black Stars. Earlier on Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis
Afriyie Ankrah has already told the
Commission that each of the ambassadors were paid $200 each during their stay in Brazil, even as many of them were not able to
go and watch Ghana's matches in Forta Leza against Germany and Brasilia versus Portugal.
A host of ambassadors comprising of showbiz and ex-sports stars including boxing legend,
Azumah Nelson, Abedi Pele, Tony Baffoe, Augustine Ahinful, Jackie Appiah, Becca, John Dumelo, C. K. Akunnor and Grace Ashly were
all unveiled weeks to the tournament to lead a supposed fund raising campaign to help
sponsor more supporters to go and support the national team at the tournament.
Now Jackie Appiah is first on the list of movie stars who benefited from the trip to Brazil to answer many of the issues that have arisen in the aftermath of the Black Stars poor performance at the World Cup. Other persons appearing before the commission on Monday include Ghana
Football Association (GFA) Vice President, Fred Crenstil and former national football team stars, CK Akunnor and Augustine Ahinful.
"The presidential commission of inquiry into Brazil 2014 resumes sitting tomorrow Monday
10.00 am at the Accra Sports Stadium. Expected to appear include Fred Crentsil, Augustine Ahinful, CK Akunnor, Litina Travel and Tours and actress Jackie Appiah," said a statement by spokesperson of the Commission, Thomas Boakye Agyemang on
Sunday.

Ghana's Pride.... Africa gain.

      Slave trade left the shores of Africa several years ago but in this twenty first century, Africa stil finds itself in slavery but this time around its "Mental slavery.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah once said that " The black man is capable of managing his own affairs". This is trully not the reflection of what he [ Kwame Nkrumah ] said. For several years Ghana has been importing cars and other electronic gadgets. Thanks to Dr. Safo, now Ghana can boast of a made-in-Ghana car, television etc but not a single government has taken it upon themselves to help this genius. We talk of economic hardship in the country but fail to support technological gurus to help promote and sustain technology in Ghana.
We salute you Dr. Safo and we are proud of you.