Camfed Ghana, GES outdoor documents to improve education
Camfed Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), has developed three documents that would enhance teaching and learning as well as the delivery of quality guidance and counselling services within the school system.
The documents; Five-year Guidance and Counselling Strategic Plan, the Teacher Mentor Training Manual, and the Civic Education Handbook for Students, were launched on Wednesday in Accra at the Annual Learning Summit of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme.
The documents were borne out of deliberations between Camfed Ghana and the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the GES after the 2016 Annual Learning Summit that discussed support services to students with emphasis on guidance and counselling services in the school sector.
The Annual Summit, aimed at bringing stakeholders in education together to discuss issues that would enhance quality education in Ghana, was held on the theme: “Implementing the National Guidance and Counselling Strategic Plan: Call to all Stakeholders”.
Mr John Asibi Ali, the National Director, Camfed Ghana, said his Organisation decided to support the development of the documents to assist in enhancing counselling services while improving training, guidance and counselling coordinators and counsellors.
He said the Civic Education Handbook was proposed by Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Education, to be developed for pre-tertiary students.
Mr Ali stated that the Guidance and Strategic Plan, with a five-year implementation plan, would be the blue print that would guide a holistic and effective guidance and counselling services delivery in schools, as well as serve as a monitoring and evaluation tool for the Guidance and Counselling Unit to assess the delivery services in pre-tertiary schools.
The Civic Handbook was to enlighten pre-tertiary school student and help them imbibe the attitudes of nationalism, civic mindedness, entrepreneurship and social etiquette in the service of self, community and country.
The Teacher Mentor Training Manual would be the main curriculum that would guide the delivery of a holistic training programme to teacher mentors/guidance and counselling coordinators and counsellors in pre-tertiary schools in Ghana.
Mr Ali said the documents must be fully implemented in the schools to aid proper teaching and learning among students and to ensure a well-bred human resources for the country.
He, therefore, urged all stakeholders attending the Annual Summit to dispassionately discuss the issues and come out with decision and actions for implementing the strategic plan.
Mr Ernest Otoo, a Director at the Ministry of Education, who represented the Minister of Education, launched the documents and commended Camfed Ghana for the critical role it was playing in supporting education in Ghana, especially girls’ education.
He said Ghana was working hard to ensure quality education while creating opportunities for graduates to be able to fit into society and contribute to the processes of national development.
He said the country was currently implementing an education strategic plan that spanned 2018-2030, which tallied with global education reforms and in line with the SDG 4, enjoining all countries to ensure an inclusive quality education and promote life learning opportunities for all people.
Mr Otoo said government would need the support of all stakeholders to provide quality, equitable and all-inclusive education for all Ghanaian students.
Dr Augustine Tawiah, a Member of Parliament for Bia West, and a member of the Select Committee on Education, who chaired the function, said in providing holistic education, guidance and counselling were non-negotiable so the needed resources should be provided to ensure more proactive counselling units to guide students.
Ms Kathleen Williams, a Consultant, who undertook the research that culminated in the five-year Guidance and Counselling Strategic Plan, said GH¢27.6 million would be needed to implement the-five project, which has an annual breakdown of five million cedis.
She mentioned some of the activities to be carried out as strengthening capacities of counsellors in schools, training more counsellors, and creating awareness in schools and communities on the importance of guidance and counselling.
Source: GNA