At the ongoing 2nd National Catholic Education Forum in Koforidua, Hon. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, Ghana’s Eastern Regional Minister, stated that the factoring of the School Management Committee (SMC) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in the school system in Ghana cannot be discounted in the equation.
Speaking on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the opening of the five-day Forum, she said a good education system should foster collaboration among educators, students, and community members to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
The Forum, organised by the National Catholic Secretariat, is on the theme: Catholic Education for Integral Development; Shaping a Resilient and an Inclusive Ghana.
The SMC is a school-community-based institution aimed at strengthening community participation and mobilization for education delivery. It is a governing body of basic schools in the various communities in the country.
It is made up of a group of people who promote the best interest of the school and ensures that the learners in a particular school receive the best education possible. Members of the SMC represent the school as well as the community.
The main role of the SMC is to help the headteacher of a school to organise and manage the school’s activities in an effective and efficient manner. In other words, the SMC must assist the headteacher to govern the school better.
On the other hand, the PTA is directly responsible for the total development of the child. PTA is a Non-Governmental Organizations and it is not part of the school’s’ day-to-day administration. It is essentially in advisory position in the school set-up. It is however, represented on the School Management Committee.
Essentially, the PTA makes contributions to supplement Government’s efforts in education development. These contributions include provision of infrastructure such as classrooms, libraries, tables and chairs, portable water supply, rehabilitation and maintenance of school buildings, and other equipment.
Other PTA contributions are donation of reading and instructional materials to school libraries, provision of means of transport for the school, provision of staff accommodation, provision of welfare services, supporting the school authorities in maintaining discipline, thus creating congenial atmosphere for teaching and assisting in enrolment drive, especially in the rural areas.
Addressing the Forum participants at Koforidua, the Regional Minister noted that Education is globally recognised as the life-blood of economic growth and development as well as a path for positive social transformation.
“Undoubtedly, the essence of education to an economy cannot be overemphasized, especially in this era of digitalization; thus, the need to ensure everything possible to incessantly make education relevant to the dynamic needs of society,” which she added the theme succinctly captures.
According to her, “there could not have been a better theme at a period where we all want to see a dynamic change in our schools’ orientation to produce a more patriotic and responsible human resource to develop our motherland.”
“It is our belief that when children are offered the requisite training and tools, they develop to their full potential and become productive adults ready to give back to their communities and break the cycle of poverty,” she said, hinting that the government was motivated to drive a transformational change in Ghana’s education system.
She added: “The Government’s commitment to strengthening special needs in education through infrastructure improvement resource allocation and integration of students with disabilities into the regular education system further underscores its focus on inclusivity and ensuring that all learners have equal opportunities in accessing quality education to maximise learning outcomes and improve tomorrow’s human capital index.”
She revealed that “we will be reviewing some of the current educational policies and programmes into more student-teacher friendly policies and programmes to improve learning outcomes especially, the double track system and initiate the ‘Bright Beginnings Initiative’ to revive and repurpose early childhood education for the well-being of Ghanaian children and facilitate seamless integration into continuous schooling and lifelong learning.”
Touching on the Forum, she said “I am happy to be part of this academic discourse being held in our regional capital here, Koforidua. It is wonderful to see so many important people here on this special occasion, and I am grateful to the organizers, the National Catholic Secretariat for your kind invitation and choosing Koforidua for this important forum.
“It is my hope that the faith and aspirations which inspired this forum, and the consequential decisions thereof will go a long way in shaping the country’s educational policy,” she said.
According to Hon, Awatey, it is no coincidence that the forum was coming few days after the National Education Forum, saying, “I believe whilst the Ministry of Education was planning the national forum, the Catholic Church had already mooted the idea; and this shows the premium we all put on the need to reform our education policy, and importance of this forum thereof.”
“It tells us that something needs to be fixed in our education system. Something calls for serious thinking and intellectual discourse, something calls for public debate and frank discussion if we really want to be well-positioned, as a country, in the era of rapid technological advancement where countries are leveraging Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to drive economic growth and improve life,” she pointed out.
She added: “I think we know the problem; we know what is wrong with the system,” noting that the forum was therefore “an opportunity for participants to be part of the solution to our educational challenges.”
According to her, the Forum should offer a platform to engage in deliberations on values and a holistic approach to education, emphasizing the importance of shaping well-rounded citizens; and that schooling should be extended beyond academics, by integrating moral, ethical and civic education to our school curriculum.
“This calls for a fundamental change in the way educators, policymakers, and stakeholders think about teaching, learning, and the overall purpose of education; prioritizing skills like critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, and encouraging students to create, innovate, and apply knowledge in real-world contexts; and not forgetting fostering character development, and social responsibility,” she stated.
By Damian Avevor
