GES holds leadership training workshop for 160 staff
The Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has organised a three-day leadership training workshop for 160 staff of the GES to assist them to understand and apply the concept of leadership.The participants, who were selected from 20 UNICEF focus districts, were made up of district directors of education, frontline deputy directors, regional education office staff and staff from the headquarters of the GES.
Dubbed, “Leadership for change,” the workshop sought to equip the participants in educational leadership, human resource management, financial management, effective supervision, strategic management and public policy in education.
Why the workshop
Explaining the purpose of the workshop, the Director of TED, Dr Evelyn Owusu Oduro, said there was the need for management personnel of the GES to be equipped with knowledge in leadership and management skills, and appropriate attitudes that would enable them to provide effective and efficient service delivery.
She said there was the need to develop a shared vision and strategic plan for the leadership in order to achieve the key policy goal of Ghana’s Education Sector Plan (ESP 2010-2020), indicating that the training was an aspect of the Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP).
“To facilitate the achievement of this policy goal requires capacity building of management personnel in the Ghana Education Service in respect of knowledge in leadership and management skills and appropriate attitudes that will enable them to provide effective and efficient service delivery,” Dr Oduro explained.
She said the need for capacity building had been highlighted in various monitoring reports, citing challenges such as poor record keeping, poor financial management, ineffective supervision, and poor time on task.
Management efficiency
Giving a background to the workshop, Dr Oduro explained that the TED, with support from UNICEF, developed a manual to train all directors and frontline officers on the need to improve on their management efficiency.
“The manuals have been approved and endorsed by the Director-General of the GES and the GES Council for their use within the Ghana Education Service.
“Many directors, having received copies of these manuals, have testified to their importance and usefulness in addressing their leadership challenges and, therefore, requested training in the use of these manuals, Dr Oduro said.
“It is based on the acceptance of the manual that TED again requested assistance from UNICEF to train these directors and personnel in the use of the manual, ‘Leadership for Change and the Leadership for Learning,’” she explained.
Dr Oduro gave the highlights of the workshop to include leadership and management; strategic management; professional development; mentorship and legal issues; human resource management and supervision issues; pre-tertiary teacher professional development and management, as well as financial management and inclusive education.
Source: Graphic Online
