Professor Peter Quartey, Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social, and Economic Research (ISSER), has backed the government’s initiative to thoroughly review the country’s educational system to align it with current needs.
He highlighted the need to review government policies, especially in education, to tackle inefficiencies within the sector.
“I have consistently called for a review of the free Senior High School policy. The policy is good, but we need to review it and make it better,” he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
Prof. Quartey noted that reviewing policies was crucial for monitoring, evaluating, and refining them to ensure efficiency.
On Thursday, January 9, President John Dramani Mahama announced an ambitious plan to overhaul Ghana’s education sector through a National Education Review Conference, covering all levels from kindergarten to tertiary, including Technical and Vocational Education (TVET).
Speaking at the National Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana in Winneba, President Mahama explained that the initiative aimed to tackle systemic challenges and align the educational system with the needs of a rapidly changing world.
In response, Prof. Quartey said that the review should be comprehensive and address all areas of education.
He stressed that resources should not be concentrated on just one sector but should be spread across all areas.
Prof. Quartey also called for the review conference to be a national, non-partisan discussion, involving academics and experts with relevant technical knowledge in the education field.
“We need competent and qualified brains to be part of the dialogue to proffer solutions to the country’s educational system,” he said.
Prof. Quartey said that the recommendations from the dialogue should be fully implemented to enhance the country’s education system.
He suggested that the government must consider the nation’s needs when deciding whether to prioritise humanities or engineering programmes.
“I think now our manufacturing base is dwindling. We are churning out more of humanity than the engineering field,” he said.
Prof. Quartey advocated for the establishment of a scholarship scheme to encourage students to pursue studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and TVET.
He explained that the initiative would help produce more analytical minds, thereby expanding the manufacturing sector and creating more job opportunities for the population.
GNA
