Category: Education

A total of 53 young media students from some tertiary institutions and other youth groups in Tamale, have participated in a mentorship programme targeted at enhancing their professional capacity on ethical media reportage.

The programme attracted some media and communication students from the University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus; Tamale Technical University (TaTU), Institute of Business Management and Journalism, Tamale Learning Centre (IBM and J – TLC), Oxford School of Journalism and other young people from Activista Ghana, among others.

They participated in an eight-week long intensive coaching and mentorship training under some renowned and experienced media practitioners in the region on news broadcasting, reporting, production, graphic designing, editing, photography and videography.

The training was facilitated by Media Mentor Academy, an NGO committed to equipping young media professionals to become responsible and ethical practitioners, and supported by Twillium Industrial Co
mpany Limited, Indomie, Promasidol Ghana, amongst others.

The event was to climax the training of beneficiaries under its cohort two programme on the theme: ‘Empowering Truth: Elevating Ethical Journalism Across Northern Region.’

Ms Aisha Mohammed, the Executive Director of Media Mentor Academy, said it was meant to celebrate the resilience, dedication and achievement of the participants and reflect on the prospects and challenges in the quest to promote excellence and impactful journalism.

She said, ‘The training has been incredible, with moments of triumph and challenges that tested our resolve. We have seen participants excel in their projects, demonstrated exceptional skills, among others.’

Ms Mohammed said the Media Mentor Academy was committed to harnessing the journalistic prowess of the youth and urged beneficiaries to put into practice the skills acquired for maximum impact on communal development.

Ms Abdul – Samed Khadija, the Gender and Communication Officer for the Savannah Women and Integrat
ed Development Agency (SWIDA – GH), an NGO, highlighted the importance of fact checking and verification by practitioners, adding that it was the backbone of ethical and responsible journalism.

She said media practitioners must endeavour to ensure accuracy and truthfulness in channeling out information to the public to avoid incidences of attacks on media houses and practitioners.

Ms Khadija appealed to owners of media houses to prioritise investment in the training of their employees, especially in the run up to the Election 2024 to ensure fair, balanced, and accurate reportage.

Mr Abdul-Muhsin Mohammed Saani, the Executive Director of Empowerment Centre for Peace Building, said ethical journalism plaid a key role in promoting peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.

He urged them to use the knowledge acquired to advocate for peace and justice, community development and the general wellbeing of Ghanaians.

Ms Hamdiya Abubakar, a beneficiary of the training, commended Media Mentor Academy, and it
s partners for investing in the participants’ growth and development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Twenty pupils of Zamboree D/A Basic School in the Assin North District of the Central Region narrowly escaped death following the collapse of their school building during a rainstorm on Monday.

The heart-rending incident befell the pupils in the farming community at about 0900 hours when classes were in session.

The structure, built with mud and supported by wood hung loosely, exposing the children to the vagaries of the weather.

Opinion leaders in the community and surrounding areas have for many years appealed to the government for support to no avail.

Mr Jacob Tetteh Agbeko, the School Management Committee Chairman (SMC), told the Ghana News Agency that pupils in Classes Two and Three were the only pupils affected.

He said the building had, for years, been in a dilapidated state due to neglect and the situation was exacerbated by the onset of the rain, opening more cracks and weakening the structure.

As a result, the SMC Chairman said when the teachers observed the danger associated with the windstor
m, they instructed the pupils to leave their classes and immediately after, the building collapsed trapping their books and bags.

At the moment, various classes have been combined to accommodate the affected pupils.

He, therefore, called for urgent assistance from the government, the District Assembly and corporate Ghana, to as a matter of urgency support the school.

Some parents and pupils appealed to the government to complete an abandoned six-unit classroom block which started in 2013.

They said the abandoned building has been left to rot in the bush, making it a prime habitat for reptiles and other creeping animals, endangering the pupils.

Mr Thomas Yogarim, the Assemblyman for the area, said the National Disaster Management Organisation and the District Assembly had been informed, and that they were waiting for assessment and assistance.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Nation 2 Nation Christian University, an American Based Institute, has accepted 17 fresh students to pursue various higher education programmes offered by the institution. 

Out of the 17 students, 16 males with only one female, who would be pursuing professional Certificate, Degree, Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate course in Biblical Studies and Community Development, among others.

Reverend Kojo Impraim, the Former Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Western Region, in his keynote address, urged the Matriculants to be serious with the path they had chosen, by acquiring the requisite knowledge to impact their world.

He entreated them to embrace all humanity by trying their possible best to attend to their physical and spiritual needs and be agents of change wherever they found themselves.

Dr Joseph Nwobodo, the West African Director of the University, led the Matriculants through the admission Oath, commended them for the bold step taken to pursue higher education and knowledge.

‘You are here to m
ake something for yourselves and add value to your life to become ministers of the gospel,’ he said.

He urged the matriculants to persevere through life and attain the highest form of recognition in society, adding that the University would equip them with tools to reason, make accurate judgment and become excellent Ministers for the Lord.

The Nation 2 Nation Christian University is a Texas, USA based University with a campus in Takoradi that nurtures young people in a Christian manner to impact the world.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Three teacher unions within the Western and Western North regions are calling on the government to pay the four agreed allowances, with immediate effect, to give their members some socio-economic relief.

They said the last two years had been tortuous to the Ghanaian teacher, ‘with no ray of hope and relief from their employer’.

The unions, comprising: GNAT, NAGRAT, and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers- Ghana, have, therefore, given the Government up to Monday, May 13, to honour its promises or the ‘leadership will be called to act immediately’.

Mr Peter Obeng Nyamekye, the Western Regional Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), told the media that government had failed to implement negotiation agreements since 2019.

‘We were looking at 15 areas of allowances but government agreed to pay only four,’ he said.

These are the Deprived Area Allowance, Extra Assessments Allowance, Book/Data/online Teaching Allowance, and the Upward Adjustment of the Continuous Professional Development
Allowance.

Mr Nyamekye said members had been in a very tight position with little or no economic and social peace and well-being …owing to government’s continued failure to implement or fulfill its promises.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Richard Kojo Acheampong, a Legal Practitioner, and his wife, Joan, have handed-over a 12-seater water-closet toilet facility to the female students of the Nkonya Senior High School in the Oti Region, their alma mater.

An abandoned 20-student capacity bathroom, whose renovation was financed by the couple, was also handed over to the school.

The project cost over US$ 30,000 and was completed within the stipulated 120 days.

Mr Acheampong said he could not overemphasize the importance of access to clean and safe sanitation facilities, especially for the girls.

‘They are not merely amenities but fundamental rights that uphold human dignity and promote public health,’ he said.

He said the gesture was not only to provide a basic need for the school but also create space where the girls could feel respected, comfortable and empowered.

‘My wife and I have given our token. We may have resolved one or two problems, but there are many more to resolve.’

‘The facility is not just a structure but symbolises our un
ity, resilience and determination to create a brighter future for the next generations.’

Mr Acheampong called on the old students to extend a helping hand to their alma mater, which would be a great investment in the community.

He admonished the students to make judicious use of their time to excel and impact their communities positively in future.

A five-year ‘Lawyer Richard Acheampong’s Award Scheme’ was instituted by the couple to award GHS1,000 to the best WASSCE student of the school, a up to 2029.

Mr Ansah Kwabena Moses, the Headmaster, said the school, established in 1964, continued to produce many great personalities who were making impact in various sectors of the economy.

He commended the couple for the gesture, which had come in handy to alleviate the plight of the female students.

Mr Ansah said the school had seen a significant improvement in academics, debate, sports and games over the years and continued to receive support from individuals, the PTA and old students.

He mentioned the lack
of a sick-bay and education management software to make administrative work easy, lack of a pick-up vehicle for administration, which compelled the school to use its 26-seater bus for all activities, as some of the challenges.

The school needed drums, a keyboard for the school choir and uniform for the cadet corps, as well as renovation of the girls’ dormitory block ‘A’ and the boys’ dormitory blocks, he said, and appealed for support to tackle those needs.

Madam Roselyn Kafui Ofori, Biakoye District Director of Education, said quality secondary education was not just about academics but encompassed the provision of conducive learning environments.

‘The Acheampongs’ donation has significantly enhanced the school’s infrastructure, demonstrating the impact of old students’ engagement’.

Nanai Okotor Kwame Tegyi II, the Paramount Chief of Nkonya Ahenkro Traditional Area, called on benevolent individuals and organisations to go to the aid of the school to enhance academic performance.

He urged the students to
take their studies seriously and produce good results to justify the need for philanthropic assistance.

Mr Amevenku David, President, Nkonya Old Students’ Association, said the Association would do its best to provide a uniform for the school cadet before the 60th Anniversary.

A citation was presented to the couple for their immense contribution towards the wellbeing of their alma mater.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Accra Technical University (ATU) has benefited from a grant of $1 million from the Vanuatu Trade Commission (VTC) to train students and staff of the University in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and applied research.

Under the package, the Commission will sponsor an ATU International Conference with the ESDEV Foundation Africa in Accra on the theme: ‘ Unlocking Africa’s Youth Potential for Socio-Economic Transformation.’

Professor Amevi Acakpovi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, ATU, announced this at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between VTC and the University in Accra.

The collaboration represented a significant journey for both institutions to explore a robust exchange of knowledge, resources, and expertise in AI.

The Professor said one of the key components of the collaboration was the establishment of dedicated AI training at ATU.

He said there was the need to embrace new ways of doing things to remain current and relevant to the job market.

‘At ATU, we believe in the transformative powe
r of technology to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and improve the lives of our societies.

‘Through the partnership, we are committed to harnessing the potential of AI to address pressing challenges and foster sustainable development in our respective regions,’ he said.

Research has revealed that AI will replace 85 million jobs globally by 2025.

He commended the Commission for their commitment to support the University and for harnessing AI for positive change.

Prof Acakpovi expressed confidence that the partnership would pave the way for groundbreaking discoveries, innovative solutions, and meaningful impact.

On April 30, 2024, the Commission launched the AI Africa training at the British Council in Ghana, which will train and equip approximately five million African youth with relevant skills.

Prof Hugh Keku Aryee, the Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Ghana, pledged to provide all the learning materials for the training in solving complex challenges.

He said ATU was the first institution in th
e country to receive the grant to equip the staff and students to thrive in the digital space.

The collaboration, he stressed, was a shared commitment to innovation, education, and the advancement of technology in the world.

Dr Dave King Boison, Chief Executive Officer, Knowledge Web Centre, said the training would focus on prompt engineering, deep learning, and machine learning.

He advised Universities to inculcate the study of AI in their curricula since the 4th industrial revolution required the knowledge of AI to champion the course of development.

Mr Samuel Dawson, President of the ATU Student Representative Council, commended the collaboration to enhance the student experience and shape them to be fit for purpose.

Vanuatu is a conglomeration of about 80 islands located in the south-western Pacific Ocean.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Lack of toilet facilities and washrooms are impeding academic progress at the Odomase Presbyterian Junior High School at Odomase Number One in the Sunyani West Municipality.

According to Mrs Mavis Afowaa, the Headmistress, the school’s toilets for students and teachers remained unused for some years now because of its deplorable and unhygienic condition.

The appalling situation, she added, compelled the school children and some teachers to either go back home to visit the nature call or ease themselves, or use the nearby bush as places of convenience.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Odomase Number One, Mrs Afowaa described the situation worrying, having a huge toll on girls and female teachers of the school.

She said the school had no washrooms for girls to change themselves, saying because of that, many of the girls failed to attend classes when they were in their menstrual periods.

For some years now, Mrs Afowaa said the school had not benefited from any government project or rehabi
litation work, with many of the classrooms fast deteriorating and serving as death traps to the school children.

Virtually, all the roofing of the classrooms has leakages and sometimes the school had to be closed during the wet seasons, she stated, and appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund and the Sunyani West District Assembly to come to their aid.

Mrs Afowaa said the school’s contributions to the growth and development of education in the area and beyond remained exceptional, saying it also required an ICT laboratory to advance the teaching and learning of the subject.

She therefore called on wealthy natives of the town, home and abroad in particular, philanthropic individuals and organisations as well as corporate bodies to also assist the school.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, will soon establish an emergency centre to help make Tarkwa and its environs safe for the residents.

The University has already dedicated a building on campus for the centre and currently having discussions with some mining companies to get it fully operationalised

Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, the Vice Chancellor, UMaT, announced this during the 2024 Workplace Safety and Health conference held at the UMaT.

It was on the theme: ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Occupational Safety and Health.’

He said: ‘l know it will happen either this year or next year because it appears the mining companies are more poised to do it than even the University itself. So, once we start talking, the little things that we need will be in order.

‘Now, our building is ready, we just need a few Motorola gadgets for communication, so that anytime there is an incident around the Tarkwa community, once we hear it then we know who to talk to and how they are going to get th
ere,’ Prof Amankwah added.

He revealed that within the next six months the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) would be on their campus, and that a building had already been allocated to them by the University and they have agreed to move to their campus adding ‘We have realised that when there is fire outbreak in the township by the time officers of the GNFS move from Ahwetieso to the station any fire would have already consumed what it is burning.’

Mr Benjamin Kessie, the Municipal Chief Executive of Tarkwa Nsuaem (MCE), said, ‘Tarkwa is a typical mining municipality. All the multinational mining companies are here, so it should not be that anytime there is a disaster we do not have a specific centre dedicated to respond to it.’

Mr Kessie commended UMaT for initiating such programmes and said whatever proposal would be put on the table the municipal assembly would add its comment to make sure it received national attention for the centre to be established.

‘I am also of the view that a military base shou
ld be set up here in Tarkwa to partner the UMaT initiative. If the military shows presence, we normally get the control that we need, so we are hoping that will be considered to enable them to partner the police and other security agencies to work effectively.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Institute of Directors-Ghana (IoD-Ghana) has initiated a collaboration with the European Open Education Network (EOE), Germany, to enhance directorship practice in Ghana for corporate governance advancement.

Key areas of the partnership are; joint programme development and delivery, building leadership/staff capacity, educational exchanges and study tours, training, qualification and consulting, and access to European accredited bachelor, masters and doctoral studies.

Reverend Mrs Angela Carmen Appiah, the President/Chair of the Governing Council, IoD-Ghana, at a collaborative meeting with stakeholders on Wednesday, lauded the initiative and expressed the hope that it would go a long way to build giants in corporate leadership.

‘We are very happy you are coming with such an international pedigree and hoping that by partnering and collaborating with you we should be standing on the shoulders of giants because you do have impressive international presence,’ she said.

‘We also partner not just locally, b
ut continentally and internationally because there are IoDs all over the globe, and we want to make sure that we are not working in silos as it were, but also looking around widening up our periphery vision to ensure we’re picking best practices and holding hands.’

‘…So that we don’t only operate business as a growing concern, but also sustainably, mindful that we only have one planet.’

Rev Mrs Appiah said the IoD-Ghana had key pillars of corporate governance, which had the acronym (ATTIRE – Accountability, Transparency, Truthfulness, Integrity, Responsibility, and Effectiveness/Efficiency.’

‘So, once we’re guided by these core principles, we believe that we will be able not to just chalk corporate governance but walk the talk…’.

Prof Dr Dr Christian Werner, President of the European Open Education Network, Germany said they were impressed with the mandate of the IoD-Ghana as a professional organisation committed to the professional practice of corporate directorship.

‘We are excited about your continuou
s and professional development/customised programmes and seminar, consultancy, advocacy, research and publications,’ he stated.

‘We believe that by working together, we can significantly enhance the impact of these programmes and empower a broader range of directors.’

Prof Werner is a representative of the University of Applied Management, Germany, Seeburg Castle University, Austria, DGHS-German University of Health and Sport, Germany, Triagon Academy, Malta and Schaffhausen University Institute, Switzerland.

He is paying a working visit to Ghana, which would end on May 10, 2024. He is scheduled to handle a seminar and deliver a paper on: ‘Good Corporate Governance and Ethical Leadership: European Perspectives.’

Rev Mrs Appiah later presented the ‘Director’s Handbook 3rd Edition’ and ‘The National Corporate Governance Code’ of the IoD-Ghana to Prof Werner.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms Marceline Eyram Amenyo, the Assembly member for the Fodome Helu Electoral Area of the Volta Region, has presented mathematical sets to over 100 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates in the area.

Students from the Fodome Helu R/C JHS, Fodome Woe Agbetsido M/A JHS, Fodome Hloma E.P Basic School, Fodome Kodzeto M/A Basic School and Christ Academy Preparatory JHS benefitted.

Ms Amenyo said she presented the mathematical sets two months earlier to enable the students to learn how to effectively use them during their exams.

The donation started last year and would be an annual task as a form of support from her, she said, and encouraged the students to take their studies seriously to make a difference.

She urged them to see themselves as future leaders and endeavour to succeed and give back to their communities.

Ms Amenyo said empowering the students would be one of her policies since education was a bedrock of human and national development.

She expressed gratitude to the traditional a
uthorities and stakeholders for their support in ensuring effective education in the area.

Mr Alorme Emmanuel, the Headmaster of the Fodome Hloma E.P. Basic School, on behalf of the beneficiary schools, expressed gratitude the Assemblywoman for the donation and said the mathematical sets would help the students to write the exams successfully.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Tamale, has held a conference to empower students with the right information to shape their leadership skills for national development.

It was also intended to inspire and encourage students to express interest in leadership positions that will facilitate the country’s overall development.

The conference was organised by UDS-NUGS, in collaboration with Alice Talkworld Organisation, a universal community of young leaders, and Prince Sadat Change Makers Foundation, on the theme: ‘Finding your Feet’.

It brought together key stakeholders within the women empowerment and advocacy space, youth groups, students from some senior high schools in Tamale, as well as leadership and other business experts.

Mr Issah Abdul-Manan, UDS-NUGS President, said the conference was intended to inspire, empower and uplift the spirit of young people to be ambassadors of transformative leadership and strong advocates of women empowerment tha
t would resonate in sustainable development.

He said the theme was carefully selected to signify the process of discovering one’s strength, passion and purpose and taking the needed steps towards personal growth and self-improvement.

‘The theme seeks to encourage individuals to embrace challenges, overcome obstacles and to navigate uncertainties with resilience and determination,’ he said.

Mr Abdul-Manan said it was important for the youth to eschew all forms of misconceptions associated with young people in leadership, women empowerment and entrepreneurship, and encouraged them to embrace the new era of inclusivity for sustainable development.

Ms Alice Yakubu, the Chief Executive Officer of Alice Talkworld Organisation, spoke on the importance of networking and capacity building for youth participation in decision-making processes in the country.

She said young people would not get the platform to lead in national development if they did not strategise, network, enhance their skills and prove that they
were competent enough to lead the change they desired.

She admonished them not to allow the few setbacks they would encounter in pursuit of excellence to discourage them but remain resolute and optimistic about their dreams and aspirations.

Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed, the Executive Director, Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH) a non-governmental organisation, urged men to perceive women as partners in development and not competitors.

She emphasised that some restrictive norms, coupled with incidences of gender stereotyping, had been a huge hindrance to addressing challenges women and girls faced in their quest to participate in national development.

Hajia Sagito-Saeed reiterated the need for the Government to facilitate the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill to help give more legal backing to women empowerment.

Mr Alhassan Musah Timtooni, the Speaker for the Northern Regional Youth Parliament, said the days where young people were sidelined in major decision-making processes in the
country were over, adding that the voices of the youth must be counted to reflect the collective view of Ghanaians.

He urged young people not to allow themselves to be used as agents of violence, especially in the upcoming general election, but leverage on their youthful exuberance to champion peace and stability.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some Pre-Tertiary Education Teacher Unions in the Upper East Region have called on the government to take steps to address the concerns of teachers regarding their unpaid allowances before May 13, 2024.

The teachers gave the ultimatum at a news conference in Bolgatanga jointly organised by the Teacher Unions.

They stressed that, should the government fail to heed to their request before the given date, they would advise themselves accordingly.

The Teacher Unions were made up of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT GH).

‘We wish to stress, that we have had enough of the nonchalance, complacency, and aloofness of the employer, and would thus not countenance this situation any longer.

‘…We wish to state in the strongest terms that, should the Employer fail to address our demands on or before May 13, 2024, we will take our next line of action,’ they stressed.

Addressing the news conference, Mr
Lare Kitonname, Regional Secretary, GNAT, indicated that since the negotiation of their Collective Agreement in 2009 and after the 2020 Collective Agreement, the government had failed to implement the allowances agreed on as well as promises given.

The Teacher Unions are demanding the payments of the deprived area allowance, the extra assessment allowance, the book/data/online allowance and upwards adjustment of the continuous professional development allowance.

‘Currently, our Collective Agreement has expired since August 2023 and all efforts to get the Employer on the negotiating table to agree on the new Collective Agreement have proved futile. We have been contemplating on 17 types of allowances, however, due to several considerations we have reduced them to four.

‘Despite this gesture of good faith from the Unions, the government is still adamant and has demonstrated bad faith. This has oftentimes culminated in high level despondency and disaffection for leadership,’ he said.

He explained that the cu
rrent economic hardships had had serious toll on the Ghanaian teacher in recent years and non-payment of the demanded allowances had further worsened their plights and called on stakeholders in the education sector to support their efforts.

‘We have had to hang on the thin line with our members complaining bitterly. These complaints have become worse, especially as our members are reeling under the utter hardship imposed on us all by the current economic conditions in the country.

‘We wish to emphasize that the last 24 months have been the most tortuous for the Ghanaian Teacher, with no ray of hope of relief initiated by the Employer’, he added.

The Regional Secretary underscored the significant role of teachers to the country’s quest to achieving quality and universal access to education and underscored the need to pay attention to the welfare of teachers.

‘We thus call on stakeholders to support our next line of action if the government fails to meet this deadline,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency