BY: Daniel Orlando / VoltaOnline
The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has called for immediate reforms in the country’s educational system, urging the government to finalize a long-awaited partnership agreement with mission schools and improve technical and vocational education.
The call was made at the end of the Second National Catholic Education Forum, held at the St. Bakhita Catholic Church in Koforidua, under the theme “Catholic Education for Integral Development: Shaping a Resilient and Inclusive Ghana.”
The forum discussed challenges facing the education sector, including inadequate religious and moral formation, neglect of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and rising cases of indiscipline and examination malpractice.
In a communiqué signed by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani and President of Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), the bishops emphasized the need for stronger partnerships between the government and faith-based institutions.
The Catholic Church, a leading education provider, operates over 5,453 basic schools, 82 Senior High Schools, 41 TVET institutions, and several tertiary colleges across Ghana.
The Bishops urged the government to reverse resource allocation imbalances in the education sector and commit to establishing at least one TVET center of excellence per region. They also recommended a phased-out transition within two years to address challenges with Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, which has faced criticism over the double-track system and resource constraints. They also demanded a minimum of 20 per cent quota in all Catholic schools for Catholic students.
Furthermore, the Bishops called for the restoration of roles for General, Regional, and Local Managers in overseeing Catholic schools, as well as the inclusion of Catholic representatives in key educational bodies such as the Ministerial Advisory Board of Education and the Ghana Education Service Council.
