Programs Officer of the Ghana National Educational Campaign Coalition (GNECC), Festus Longmatey has blamed poor performance of public schools on lack of supervision and proper management from authorities. In an interview with Bright Nana Amfoh on TV3 New Day, he said authorities do not keep an eye on teachers to ensure they do what they are supposed to do to promote quality education in public basic schools. He also accused government of delaying the payment of grants needed by heads of institutions to run the schools effectively. Mr. Longmatey underscored the need for resources to be made available in order to aid in the day-to-day activities of the schools. “This year for instance we know for three consecutive terms, the capitation grants have not yet been released, and if we expect the head teachers to manage the schools very well without the required resources, it is impossible,” he stressed. Touching on the public-private partnership (PPP) government intends to embark on, Mr Longmatey stated that it has been implemented in other countries in the sub region with little or no successes chalked. Government intends to establish a partnership with the World Bank to improve basic education in Ghana, a decision some stakeholders have kicked against stating it will lead to the privatization of these schools. But Mr. Longmatey said there is research available to the fact that PPPs in the educational sector result in the private partners working to their own benefits. Executive Director of Inclusion Ghana, an association for inclusive education, Jeleel Odoom who was also on the New Day show challenged Mr. Longmatey’s assertion saying that there are more benefits to the PPP than the disadvantages. He argued further that PPP is a common phenomenon in developed countries and it has been successful. He was concerned about the vigilance on the part of government to make the process a success. “It is about how we are transparent with the process of the PPP so that it does not end up in the hands of people connected to power,” he added. By Ferdinard Tiekon | 3news.com | Ghana]]>
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