An educational forum has been held in Cape Coast to mark the International Day of Education, with a call to stakeholders to support education financing to improve standards.
The Director-General of the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration of the University of Cape Coast, Dr Michael Boakye-Yiadom, who made the call said while the government’s budgetary allocation to the sector was woefully inadequate, stakeholders must not look on, as that could compromise quality.
He said the country must not give up on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on education and added that all must devise innovative ways increase enrolment and finance to enhance quality.
The Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, a semi-autonomous institute of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) that trains educational planners, leaders and administrators and a UNESCO category two institution, organised the forum.
It was in collaboration with the Cape Coast office of the Ghana Education Service and the University Practice Senior High School (SHS).
This year’s celebration was on the theme, “Invest in people, prioritise education”.
The first International Education Day was celebrated on January 24, 2019.
Dr Boakye-Yiadom said in 2001, at an international educational forum, the government pledged a minimum of 23 per cent of budgetary allocations to education.
However, he noted, this year’s allocation was 12 per cent, one of the lowest in many years.
He said public funding of education would never be enough in any country and particularly in developing countries, charging traditional rulers, district assemblies and the private sector to support the financing of education.
The Director-General said about 1.2 million Ghanaians, between the ages of four and 17, were out of school.
Out of the number, Dr Boakye-Yiadom noted that almost one million had never been in school, saying the figures should be a worrying concern for all.
The academician said all levels of education, from basic to tertiary, required huge investments in infrastructure and teacher development to increase access and improve quality.
Dr Boakye-Yiadom said it was sad that some SHS graduates, with good grades, could not get admission into tertiary institutions because of limited facilities.
“If the country does not effectively mobilise to work towards achieving the SDG on education it would not be attained,” he added.
He urged stakeholders to consciously make efforts towards educating all from the individual to the national level.
Visits to some of the communities in and around Cape Coast, he said, indicated that some of the children were not in school because they still did not understand the relevance of education.
“Others did not have mentors and role models who inspired them to go to school,” he added.
He said IEPA was considering developing mentors and role models for communities across the country to encourage them to go and stay in school.
Dr Boakye-Yiadom said if every young person in school encouraged one other person to go to school, the challenge would be solved.
He advised the students to stay in school and encourage others to stay in school.
The Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of Education, Phyllis Krobea-Asante, said education held the key to developing a productive and functional workforce essential for accelerated socio-economic development when she spoke on the theme.
She said the government must increase its allocation to education from 12 per cent to 23 per cent and added that the future benefits of such investments would silence all critics.
Ms Krobea-Asante said to that end, the nation must continue to prioritise education and help prepare the youth for the future and added that was the best way to ensure growth and development and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Source: Graphiconline
