Government’s commitment to replace schools under trees lags behind – STAR- Ghana
schools under trees
Dr. Ernestina Tetteh, Project Manager at STAR-Ghana Foundation, has expressed frustration over the government’s delayed efforts to replace schools under trees in the country. Despite a promise made two years ago, these schools have yet to see significant improvements.
During an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Dr. Ernestina Tetteh highlighted the issue, stating, “In 2021, the Ministry of Education launched a program to replace all schools under trees, sheds, and dilapidated structures with new, decent school buildings by 2025. However, progress is moving at a disappointingly slow pace. After two years, only 17 schools have been completed. This rate is far too slow, and if we continue at this pace, it will take several more years to resolve this issue. This is simply unacceptable.”
Dr. Ernestina Tetteh appealed to the government to take swift action in replacing schools under trees with suitable buildings. She emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We urge the government to accelerate the pace of this initiative. The decision to undertake this project was driven by goodwill, given the dire circumstances. It is crucial that we address this matter promptly.”
The STAR-Ghana Foundation, alongside other Civil Society Organizations such as ActionAid, Africa Education Watch, Ghana CSOs Platform on SDGs, CAMFED, GNAT, GNECC, CCT, World Vision, and ICDP, has raised serious concerns about the state of Ghana’s basic education system.
In a document titled “Memorandum of Issues in the Basic Education Sector,” these groups highlighted various problems plaguing the system, including severe overcrowding in some schools, a lack of textbooks and exercise books for students, unpaid utility bills, inadequate incentives for teachers in rural areas, and the politicization of teacher recruitment, among other issues.
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
