Savannah Regional Youth Network engages stakeholders on falling educational standards

The youth believes the poor performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) can be arrested with close stakeholder collaboration working in consonance with the youth.

Led by Haruna Muntala, the convernor/president, the youth group held formal engagements with the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council, the Regional Education Directorate and got the opportunity to review the Educational Commitee Meetings.

At the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council,the Assistant Coordinating Directors, Yidana Latif and Addisah Bukari received the team on behalf of the regional minister and Region Coordinating Director who were all out of town on official assignments.

The Savannah Regional Coordinating Council bemoaned the poor performance of students in the region at the pre tertiary level and expressed joy that the youth have taken keen interest in working with stakeholders to find lasting solution to the challenge.

In response to an inquiry about the Educational Commitee Review Meeting Document, Mr. Haruna Muntala said everything about the document has been completed with an action plan and will soon be rolled out as a working document.

The youth also meet with a team from the Savannah Regional Education Directorate led by the Human Resource Manager, Iddisah Seidu to gather more information about the Educational Action Plan Document and to appreciate the extent of the situation.

The Regional Education Directorate said they had completed and presented an action plan document to the Savannah Regional Minister for further action.

Mr. Iddisah Seidu said they were genuine logistical challenges affecting the work of the directorate, adding that, the issue of improving standards of education is a shared responsibility among parents, teachers and the students.

The youth network at the end of the engagement outlined among other things the following as the causes of the poor performance of students at the BECE and WASSCE in the region:

The lack of leaching and learning materials, shortfall of teachers in the region,lack of motivation for teachers, political interference in education,teachers leaving schools to engage in political activities,teacher absenteeism,policy of allowing students who are pregnant to be in school, lack of fair distribution of teachers, lackadaisical attitude of parents towards the education of their wards, lack of commitment on the part of students, inadequate supervision….

The youth network intends to engage more with duty bearers,organize educational forums and sensitisation programs (quiz and debate competitions and extra classes for students) and work with Civil Society Organizations in a bid to improving the falling standards of education in the region.

They recommended among others:

•Bye laws on how to control movement of students in the night.

•Motivation of teachers who will accept postings to the remote areas of the region.

•Provision of enough TLMS.

•Enough teachers deployed to the region.

•Zero Interference of politicians in educational matters and the application of the rules of the GES.

•Paying much attention to the lower primary level with qualified teachers engaged at that level to help build a strong foundation.