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(Audio): You’re making GES dormant – IFEST to Adutwum

A Civil Society Organization on Education, Institute of Education Studies (IFEST), says the Ministry of Education (MoE) is making Ghana Education Service (GES) ineffective.

According to IFEST, the Ministry of Education has sidelined the GES in key developments in the sector such as National Standard Test (NST), School Calendar, and the Recruitment of Heads of STEM schools.

IFEST said it cannot fathom how Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) could be purported to have been carried out without the explicit knowledge and involvement of the GES.

“The conversation on the GALOP Teacher Training issue clearly cements our proposition that the Ministry of education is gradually juggling the role of policy formulation and implementing agency this presents the GES as inefficient.

“It is clear from the correspondence from the World Bank, The GES and the Press Statements from the Ministry that the GES which is mandated to undertake this teacher training exercise was sidelined in the entire process,” Executive Director for IFEST, Peter Anti disclosed in statement dated May 30, 2022.

He continued: “It is clear from the events mentioned that it seems the Ministry of Education is consciously or unconsciously weakening the GES with its constant acts. It is important to point out that GES needs to be efficient, effective and inspiring in the delivery of its mandates.

“Any attempt to continue on this path by the Ministry of Education will kill morale within the GES and put the implementation of a lot of policies in the education sector especially at the Pre-Tertiary level in complete disarray as it has been witnessed in some instances. Already, the World Bank has bemoaned the slow implementation of the GALOP projects.”

IFEST therefore called on the Minister of Education to show leadership and ensure that there is proper coordination and cordiality between these two critical institutions.

“We further call on the GES council to ensure that the mandate of the service is not compromised.

“Finally, we appeal to the President of the Republic of Ghana to step in and ensure that the investments made in the education sector do not go down the drain because of the lack of coordination between these two critical institutions,” IFEST concluded.