Minister Inaugurates Ghana Education Service Council

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Minister of Education, on Thursday inaugurated a 14-member Council of the Ghana Education Service (GES), to ensure that the service is effectively resourced to deliver quality education to all school children. The Council has Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw as its chairman, with Ms Cecilia Ruby Pomary, Nene Sakite II, Mr Francis Kojo Arthur, Dr Christine Adu-Yeboah, Mrs Florence Agyei-Wiredu and Mr John Kwasi Nyoagbe as some members. The rest are Mr Godwin Sowah, Most Rev. Mathew K.Gyamfi, Mrs Nancy Thompson, Mrs Sylvia Asempa, Mr Mohammed A.K. Addo, Mr Enoch H.Cobbinah and Mr Charles Aheto-Tsegah. Administering the oath of office, Prof Opoku-Agyemang, urged them to comply with functions in the Ghana Education Service Act, 1995, (Act 506). She reminded them that the Act ensures that the Council members submits to the recommendation for pre-tertiary educational policies and programmes, and promote collaboration between the Ministry and the GES. She pointed out that the GES plays a most useful role in the country�s developmental agenda, as it relates to the formative stages of building the human resource, and that the Council is not only to create the needed policies but also to strengthen the institutions. �While congratulating you on your appointment, I would like to reiterate that you have been selected to serve on account of your proven integrity, unwavering patriotism and sense of duty,� she added. Prof Opoku-Agyemang charged the Council members to consider strategies to curb teacher absenteeism, ensure evenly distribution of teachers, improve discipline among teachers, reward high performing teachers, and sanction teachers who go against the code of ethics. She said President Mahama had broken ground for the commencement of raising structures in selected areas to improve access and enhance quality of education. Prof Opoku-Agyemang intimated that the Ministry was putting in place the appropriate mechanism to review the best teacher award, the study of Science and Mathematics, and urged the Council members to take an active interest in the endeavor to meet current needs of development. Prof Asabere-Ameyaw, Chairman of the Council, thanked President Mahama for giving them the opportunity to serve in the capacity to improve the quality of education in the country. Prof Asabere-Ameyaw pledged that members will work assiduously to help support the needed leadership in the educational sector, and comply with the mandate of the Act to improve quality education.