CSOs want double budgetary allocation for educational infrastructure
Some Civil Society Organisations in education, educationists and parents have proposed to government to double budgetary allocation to the educational sector to provide adequate dormitories and classroom blocks for senior high schools (SHS) in the country.
They argued that it would help phase out the double-track system and reduce congestion in the classrooms and dormitories to create conducive environment for students to learn and improve on their academic performance.
They made the proposals at a budget forum on the 2020 education sector budget in Tamale on Tuesday.
It was to collate inputs into the 2020 national budget and economic policy of the government.
The forum was organised by SEND GHANA with support from OXFAM in response to the call by the Ministry of Finance for stakeholder inputs into the 2020 budget statement and economic policy of the government.
The participants said the double track system made students to spend more time at home, which was not good for effective academic exercise, adding that adequate provision of infrastructure at SHSs would ensure that all students had access to equal facilities to help improve on education in the country.
They also called for increased budgetary allocation to equip technical schools to teach students to acquire self-employable skills to help reduce unemployment in the country.
Other proposals included; the need to promote complementary basic education to ensure that all children of school-going age were in school and the establishment of playgrounds at basic schools to facilitate play method of education for improved cognitive development for children.
Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, Former Northern Regional Director of Education, expressed the need for targeted policies in the educational sector such that specific policies that responded to the peculiar needs of specific regions would be implemented for improved results.
Mr Mumuni Mohammed, Northern Regional Programme Manager of SEND GHANA, said the proposals would be harmonised for presentation to the Ministry of Finance for consideration into the 2020 budget and economic policy of government.
Source: GNA