Pre-Tertiary Education Bill: MoE deletes 9 Sections of decentralising Education Service

Some weeks ago, the Ministry of Education (MOE) under the leadership of Hon. Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) led by Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa have prepared a new Pre-Tertiary Education Bill to restructure educational systems in Ghana. The proposed bill was put before the Parliament of Ghana through the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education for approval.

In the quest to have the draft Pre-Tertiary Education Bill approved by law, there come huge criticism by stakeholders at pre-tertiary education, including teacher unions, teachers, parents and corporate groups mainly with regards to the aspect of the bill that has to do with decentralising the education system to the district/municipal and metropolitan directorates, where the work of a teacher/facilitator is supervised within a month by an officer and approved before he/she can be paid.

Reference to the said criticisms and rejections by many, the bill has since been withheld from being passed as the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service further engage the stakeholders in order to come to a consensus that will favour all in the sector now and in the future.

A letter dated 20th May, 2020 and signed by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa to the president of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and  others, the MOE has decided to cut out the sections of the proposed bill that has to do with the decentralisation of the pre-tertiary education system which seem to be the main issue of concern to the stakeholders after a meeting held with various teacher unions.

The letter intercepted by Coverghana.com.gh stated that the reason behind the decision taken by the country’s education leadership is to ensure that the entire bill is not withheld but rather other important aspects are allowed to go through

“After a meeting with representatives of the Unions in Education on Wednesday
May, 2020, I am directed by the Hon. Minister of Education to inform you that the Ministry upon reflection has decided to delete the sections which deal the decentralization of the Education Service namely, sections 29, 30, 31, 32 33. 34, 35. 36 and 37 of the proposed Pre-Tertiary Education Bill.”, the letter stated.

Below is the content of the said letter: