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The NDC ProForum North America, represented by dedicated professionals and experts in the diaspora, has outlined a strategic framework to support the government’s agenda in addressing the challenges of the Free Senior High School (SHS) system.
Consequently, the forum has recommended a 0.5 per cent levy on diaspora remittances to create a dedicated Senior High School (SHS) Trust Fund.
The diaspora community underlined what it described as “A comprehensive Framework to Enhance Ghana’s Education System” for both short, medium and long-term measures to reform the education sector to respond to the dynamic needs of society, in statement signed by Arnold Appiah, NDC Professional Forum, USA, copied the Ghanaian Times.
“As a committed partner to national development, the diaspora community is ready to contribute expertise, resources, and policy-driven solutions to ensure Free SHS is sustainable, equitable, and of high quality.
Recognising the critical role of education in Ghana’s socio-economic transformation, the ProForum is proposing a set of sustainable financing mechanisms, infrastructure development strategies, teacher welfare reforms, and curriculum modernisation initiatives to enhance the current NDC government’s efforts in building a robust and globally competitive education system,” the NDC ProForum North America explained.
The group also proposed the reinstating road tolls, with 10 per cent allocated to SHS development, allocating 5 per cent of Ghana’s Oil & Gas revenue for sustained SHS financing, and leveraging public-private partnerships to attract investments in school infrastructure and student support programmes.
Furthermore, they also touched on sustainable financing for Free SHS, forensic audit of SHS expenditures to ensure accountability and efficiency in resource utilisation, abolition of the centralised buffer stock system, allowing school heads to manage procurement with school board and alumni oversight, as key areas for reforms in the SHS.
Other areas include expanding access to quality education, fast-track completion of E-Block school projects, increasing access to quality secondary education across all regions, deploy satellite-based internet and digital learning platforms, enabling students in remote areas to participate in virtual STEM and AI classes.
The NDC ProForum expressed the need to upgrade school facilities, including classrooms, libraries, science laboratories, and teachers’ accommodations, promoting Self-Sufficiency in Schools, expand school farms, ensuring institutions produce at least 30 per cent of their food needs, and reducing the cost of the school feeding programme.
“We also suggest for consideration, the introduction of mechanised agricultural support for schools engaged in farming, strengthening Teacher Welfare & Learning Excellence, Implement salary reforms for teachers in rural areas, increase salaries by 30 per cent for teachers posted to deprived schools”
Besides, we urged the government to “provide housing and transportation incentives to attract and retain qualified educators in rural areas, fast-track teacher salary payments, ensuring newly recruited teachers are paid within two months of hiring, and modernise the curriculum to incorporate STEM, AI, coding, robotics, and vocational skills training,” they emphasised.
As a long-term measures, the group proposed the restructuring teacher training institutions to align with global education standards and formulating Legislative and policy frameworks to sustain Free SHS financing and efficiency.
“The NDC ProForum North America urges the government, corporate stakeholders, the diaspora, and educational institutions to collaborate in building a sustainable and high-quality Free SHS system.
The diaspora is ready to mobilise expertise, financial resources, and global networks to complement the current NDC government’s agenda of delivering an improved, well-funded, and innovative education system,” the statement added.
Moreover, the statement stated that the “ProForum remains committed to partnering with the NDC government in ensuring Free SHS is not just free but truly effective, providing equal opportunities for all Ghanaian students.
With well-planned reforms and strategic diaspora contributions, Ghana’s education system can become a model of excellence in Africa,” the statement indicated.
BY TIMES REPORTER
