BY: Lambert Coffie | VoltaOnline
The Catholic Church in Ghana has expressed strong reservations about the government’s handling of education, accusing successive administrations of reneging on partnership agreements and marginalizing the Church in key decision-making processes.
Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, the Catholic Bishop of Ho and Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, raised the concerns at the Volta/Oti zonal stakeholders engagement of the National Education Forum in Ho.
The Forum, which is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, is in fulfillment of the campaign promise of the NDC government to transform the country’s education sector.
“We are worried that some politicians and government appointees are not adhering to the partnership agreements between the government and the Catholic Church in providing education,” Bishop Fianu lamented.
The Church, he noted, is concerned that it is not being involved in the management of its own schools, which is eroding the faith identity of these institutions.
Bishop Fianu also expressed dismay over the Church’s lack of representation on the Ghana Education Council, a decision-making body that oversees the country’s education sector.
He emphasized that the church was committed to partnering with the government to provide quality education, but this must be done in a spirit of mutual respect and trust.”We appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to consider posting newly recruited Catholic teachers to Catholic schools to maintain the Catholic faith identity,” Bishop Fianu urged.
The Church, he added, looks forward to receiving a written policy direction from the government on the partnership between mission/unit schools and the government on the management and delivery of quality education.
Bishop Fianu commended the government for initiating the National Education Forum, which he described as a laudable effort to transform the country’s education sector.
He expressed the hope that the Forum would provide a platform for stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue and find solutions to the challenges facing the education sector.
However, prior to the forum, the Bishops Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana expressed surprise at their initial exclusion from the event, but President Mahama acknowledged and unreservedly apologized for the oversight.
President Mahama also assured that the outcome of the nationwide consultations would be implemented to improve the country’s education system.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
