Political parties contesting the December 7 general election have underscored the need to improve the standard of education in the country.
They are therefore determined to formulate and implement policies that would help raise the standard of education in the country if voted into power.
The parties, comprising the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) were sharing their plans for the educational sector as found in their manifesto at a ‘Manifesto Dialogue’, organised by e.TV Ghana in Cape Coast.
The dialogue is an interactive issue-based campaign platform meant to educate the electorate on critical sectors of the nation as found in their manifestos.
It was the second of the dialogue series by e .TV Ghana and supported by the National Endowment for Democracy Fund.
It saw a massive patronage from students, the public and sympathisers of the various participating political parties.
So far, only the NDC and PPP have launched their manifestoes.
The CPP, represented by Mr Richard Adongo, said a CPP led government intends to discourage the proliferation of private tertiary institutions and only allow it to be set up if proven to solve a particular need of the economy.
He said the party would create a graduate pool in certain strategic fields similar to the Cuban Medical Brigade and would export such graduates to other countries who need their services.
He noted that agriculture continue to be a backbone of the economy and therefore, a CPP government would improve infrastructure at the existing colleges of agriculture and establish new ones to modernise food production to accelerate economic growth.
The NDC representative, Mr Simon Peter Gyekye, touted the NDC's achievements in the educational sector citing the 200 community schools being built and the provision of ICT facilities to senior high schools
For his part, the NPP representative, Mr George Ayisi, said the NPP would provide quality education by partnering religious bodies to manage mission schools.
He expressed the need that the NPP would make vocational and technical education a priority and redefine basic education to include senior high school (SHS) and establish 350 community SHS.
He said the NPP would restore the teacher trainee allowance in its first three months of office adding: “Ghanaian teachers deserve better.”
The Cape Coast PPP Parliamentary Candidate, Mrs Sarah Bucknor, said the Party would standardise education from kindergarten to the SHS.
This would be achieved by providing logistics and other required infrastructure for teachers and students to ensure quality education in its first year of office.
Contrary to the views of the CPP, the PPP would assist private tertiary institutions with the necessary logistics to improve tertiary education and also upgrade the level of teachers in the country.
She said the party would enforce the Free Compulsory Basic Universal Education and create what it called: “Education Police” to punish parents who refused to send their children to school.
The next Manifesto Dialogue would be held at the University of Ghana, Legon on Thursday October 6.
<<Print>>