The CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Dr. Samuel Yaw Annor is calling for a renewed debate on the duration for Senior High School.
According to him, the current education system of Ghana needs a paradigm shift to ensure that SHS students get practical skills to prepare them for the job market.
“The formula needs to change, should we extend the education to probably a year or two purely for practical training? Like we’ve been doing for Doctors and Nurses because Doctors even after six years that they are churned out, they still spend about a year or two to go through apprenticeship practically on the field, practically left with the patients with a little bit of guidance. Should we employ the same techniques to train our science, masons, our welders, or should we just give them theory with minimal practical training and then throw them out to the job markek,” Dr. Annor noted.
“These are the hard teething questions that face our education system, that face our politicians. Let us open the debate. The debate will help on whether our Senior High schools should run for three years or run for four years. Let’s have a hard debate and see why the students we are churning out are all roaming about looking for job,” the NHIA boss said at the 50th anniversary, Speech and Prize Giving Day of Koforidua Senior Technical School (SECTEC).
He questioned the impact of the current education system in Ghana juxtaposing it with that of Europe and other parts of the world which train students to equip them with practical science, technical and vocation abilities to meet job specifications.
Dr. Annor wants the system to be overhauled.
The association president Barima Ba Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah made a passionate call on government and corporate bodies to come to the school’s aid towards the construction of the multi-purpose assembly hall (MPAH).
He said after the completion, it will be the first of its kind in Ghana for a second cycle school to have such an edifice that is designed for indoor sporting activities which can accommodate close to 4000 seats. He said to maintain the status of SECTECH as a hybrid of mini military academy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology thus providing high standards of discipline and practical technological knowledge, all stakeholders, especially Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, PTA must join forces with the association to implement their 20-year development plan. He said with this the fiercest challenge of over population and lack of state of the art laboratory, lack of logistics will be a thing of the past.
The ceremony was graced by Asibe Yeboah, chaired by Barima Ba Ing. Jonathan Amoako Baah CEO GRIDCO, Barima Ba Ing. Samuel Appiah Boakye CEO of ECG, Barima Ba Rev Prof. Charles Ansah Pro vice Chancellor of KNUST, Barima Ba Prof. Samuel Odai immediate past Pro VC of KNUST, Barima Ba Rev Christian Koramoah Financial Controller of GES as well as the Regional Director of Education, Municipal Director of education and many well-wishers.
On Friday, Barima Ba Rev Prof. Charles Ansa was the guest speaker for the anniversary dialogues on the theme, “50 years of SECTECH in Ghana’s development; the gains, challenges and the way forward” which took place at the Capital View hotel, with powerful attendance by old students.
In the evening the “occasion was used to commission the new entrance of the school after a powerful candlelight procession through the principal streets in Koforidua with electronic candles. The “fireworks” display was simply unprecedented and indescribable; “Hy-Skull” Band were simply exceptional on the Friday evening not forgetting the beautiful 48-car convoy that drove from Accra to Koforidua on Thursday evening.
Saturday morning was the climax and over 3000 old students were present. In the evening the old students held a fundraising dinner dance. The first generation honoured Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah the president of the alumni, “Chairman Essien” (Stephen Essien) the vice president, Ken McKenzie Acquah the Organizing secretary, Felix Osae Larbi the financial controller and “Capone” Richard Nii Armah Aryeetey an executive member for their selfless service to the association for the past seven years.
Barima Ba Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, preached at the Sunday service on the theme building your house on the rock. He challenged the young students to take their studies and life seriously so that when the storms of life visit them, their successes will be assured.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah and Frank Asante
