GNA-The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), has held a capacity-building session for its members, media and stakeholders of the Abidjan Principles in Accra.
It was to equip them with knowledge and understanding to advocate for greater responsiveness of government policies to citizens’ educational needs such as infrastructure, trained teachers, teaching and learning materials, electricity and other basic amenities, particularly in urban slums.
It was also to build the capacity of its members to demand accountability from duty bearers in line with the Abidjan Principles framework and other educational policies and to engage policymakers to take action on the negative impact of privatisation.
The workshop, on the theme: Addressing Inequalities in Ghana’s Pre-Tertiary Education System towards Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 Targets” brought together some Directors of Education and Civil Society Organisations in the Education sector.
The Abidjan Principles on the human rights obligations of States to provide public education and to regulate private involvement in education was adopted in February 2019, in Côte d’Ivoire following a three-year participatory consultation and drafting process.
It is a reference point for governments, educators and education providers which layout governments’ international legal obligations in education.
Mr Festus Longmatey, National Programmes Manager, GNECC, noted that there was an increasing trend toward education privatisation in Ghana, evident in the mushrooming of low-fee private schools.
He said profound concerns had been raised about implications on the affordability of quality education and the equity of outcomes, particularly for poor children who depended on public education.
Government, Mr Longmatey said, a couple of years ago, had been considering the adoption of privatisation models which involved the take-over of public schools by non-state actors as a means of improving quality outcomes.
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a contractual arrangement between a public entity and a private-sector party with a clear agreement on shared objectives for the provisions of public infrastructure and services traditionally provided by the public sector.
He said the PPP approach would further widen the already existing inequality gap among learners if adopted in the country.
The National Programmes Manager noted that some schools managed by private actors did not provide quality education to learners because they employed untrained teachers as it was cheaper.
He called on Government to increase domestic investment in public education to enhance and sustain quality education outcomes.
Mr Longmatey said it must provide required logistics to the schools whilst sanctioning non-performing teachers for improved outcomes.
Mrs Bernice Mpere-Gyekye, National Coordinator, GNECC, said gender was not about girls and women but about males as well.
She urged male and female learners to be actively involved in the work towards achieving gender equality in education.
The National Coordinator said it was imperative for stakeholders to be involved at the design stage of policy formulation, and for outcomes to be monitored effectively.
The GNECC is a network of CSOs working in the education sector in Ghana with the goal to promote quality pre-tertiary education for all children by changing attitudes and practices, and influencing policies of institutions and the public
Source: Ghana News Agency
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