Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Church weija has Launched its 2022 Catholic Education week Celebration at the church premises on the theme “The Role of Stakeholders in Financing Education at the Pre-tertiary Level”.
The Catholic Education Week after the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic which has hit the whole world, resulting in the closure of all schools in the world for some time.
This no doubt has had an interrupting effect on the educational calendar as well and that made it impossible for the 2021 year Catholic
Education Week to be celebrated.
Launching the Catholic Education week Celebration, Mr. George Kofi Botchway, the Headmaster of Saint Joseph the Worker R/C School Weija emphasized that
Education is the key to national development, hence schools should have so much interest in education.
He pointed that Pre-tertiary education in Ghana is considered a very important part of our education system, considering the fact that it is the foundation upon which the talents of a nation’s youth is built.
“The youth should be given the very best of resources, such as infrastructure, text books exercise books as well as good tuition(content and pedagogy) by our facilitators. It is therefore the responsibility of the government in this country to ensure that these resources are provided without any interruption for the benefit of the citizenry,” he noted.
The Headmaster who was speaking on behalf of the General Manager of Catholic Schools in Ghana Madam Araba Ahima Bentum, said stakeholders in education typically refers to anyone who is involved in or affected by the course of action of educational welfare and success of a school and its learners. Includes the church, Parents, teachers, School Administrators, government to find a better way to improve our education at large.
“We are all therefore stakeholders, and we have a significant role to play in financing pre-tertiary education in this country considering the fact that education is the key to the development of a nation and her human resource.”
Adding that “only the government. The government as a body is supposed to provide free pre-Financing education should be the interest of every citizen in this country and not
tertiary education to its citizenry as enshrined in the constitution of the state,” he stressed.
According to Mr. Kofi Botchway, the government needs to make sure that the entire citizenry takes advantage of this provision and attach sanction to any individual in the state who willfully breaches this law. This would serve as a deterrent to the rest of the
citizens.
For him, it is also the responsibility of the state in partnership with stakeholders to put up
structures needed to enhance teaching and learning. These would include recruiting highly qualified and experienced teachers, and to ensure that qualified individuals are employed.
“Parents on the other hand need to understand that, they equally have responsibilities in their ward’s education and that their educational responsibility towards their wards does not end with them taking their children to school, but also ensuring that their children do assignments given to them. They also have
the responsibility of providing the needs for their wards to support the foot government’s efforts.”
He therefore entreated Parents to make sure that their wards are regular and punctual at school and to collaborate with other major stake holders, especially teachers to train the learners in the way they would want to see them in future.
The Headmasters address urged all Catholics to establish Education Fund in all the Dioceses to be used to support in whichever way that it will address some of the
numerous challenges of the schools. Scholarship schemes could be established
to support needy students as well.
In conclusion, Mr. George Kofi Botchway, encouraged all citizens of this country to try as much go a long way in improving quality education and develop the nation. Like Nelson
Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change
the world”.
The Headmaster also expressed his profund gratitude to Rev. Father Emmanuel Salifu , the priest in charge and the Church Pastoral Council (CPC) of Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Church Weija for their continue assistant for the school and play for success.
Report By Bernard K DADZIE