SIAKON MEDIA

Mankessim (C/R), Feb 23, GNA - The Mfantseman Municipal Director of Education, Ms Vicial Etroo, has called on Parliament to enact a law to compel parents and guardians to send their children to school.

She said the absence of a law to enforce the compulsory aspect of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) Programmed launched many years ago had been thwarting government's efforts at making every Ghanaian child to have access to basic education.

Launching Rights to Know, Rights to Education Project in the Mfantseman Municipality at Mankessim on Monday, Ms Etroo said about 30 per cent of school-going age children were not in school because there was no law binding parents to send children to school and education authorities could not compel them.

Rights to Know, Rights to Education Project was initiated and is being implemented by the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition in partnership with IDASA of South Africa with funding from Danish Fund for International Development.

It is being implemented in Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya.

The Project seeks to empower citizens to use their right to information to demand quality basic education by participating in rights based budgetary processes, decision making implementation and monitoring.

Ms Etroo commended GNECC for initiating the Project to enlighten the people on matters concerning education in the participatory countries.

She said in Ghana, for instance, many people did not know what the Capitation Grant was meant for.

Ms Kate Harriet Warden, Regional Coordinator of GNECC, said the Project is being implemented in Greater Accra, Western and Central Regions.

In the Central Region, Mfantseman Municipality, Assin South and Gomoa West districts are the beneficiaries of the Project.

The Very Rev Jacob Oboh Williams, Mankessim Circuit Superintendent of the Methodist Church, appealed to priests to use the pulpit to educate the people on educational matters.

The four-day workshop is being attended by School Management Committees and Parent/Teacher Associations from four communities in the Municipality.

GNA

Friday, July 02, 2010

Tema, July 2, GNA - Dr Lawrence Tetteh, International Evangelist domiciled in the United Kingdom, has reminded school children that those who made it in life, learned almost everyday.

He said in the same way, children can grow into responsible adults only when they stayed focus and kept to their books.

Dr Tetteh gave the reminder when he addressed students from some selected second cycle institutions in the Tema Metropolis, at a symposium in Tema.

The schools were Kpone Technical and Tema Technical Institutes; Angels Specialist School International; Manhean Senior High; Tema Senior High; Tema Presbyterian High; Our Lady of Mercy High; Tema Methodist Day High; Datus Complex; and Chemu Senior High Schools.

It was organized by the Tema Main branch of the Barclays Bank, to sensitize the children on the need to lead healthy lifestyles, and take their studies seriously.

Dr Tetteh, who is also an Economist, urged the students to spend more time in reading their books than in leisure.

He warned them not to despise the advice of the elderly, but to show respect to them at all times.

The International Evangelist told students to place God at the centre of everything they did.

Mrs Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Member of Parliament for Tema West, reiterated the need for students to concentrate on their education, assuring them that with God as their guide, they would certainly make it in life.

Mrs Addo advised them to abstain from pre-marital sexual activities, since she said, that could ruin their future.

Nana Dwemoh Benneh, Head of Consumer Banking at the Barclays Bank, told the students that it was through painstaking efforts, and not by magic, that achievers succeeded in life.

Nana Benneh urged school children to come out with big dreams that would help transform their lives.

Mr Kwesi Hutchful, Team Metropolitan Education Director, reminded children that they could aspire to become great personalities if only they took inspirations from role models.

Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Mantse, urged Stakeholders in education to ensure that the future leaders of our dear and beloved nation acquired quality education.

Management of the Bank donated exercise books to schools in the Metropolis.

GNA

Accra, April 16, GNA - A representative of Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed confidence that the job re-evaluation exercise undertaken by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) would correct all anomalies the GMA had identified with the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

Dr. Frederick Kwarteng made the observation when speaking to Ghana News Agency in Accra (GNA) on Friday at the job re-evaluation exercise organised by FWSC in collaboration with Price Waterhouse Coopers, a consultancy firm, for selected jobs agreed by stakeholders.

He said "GMA thinks that this time around, the commission should have proper job analyst and set up a committee made up of professionals who understand the work attitude of health workers to review the exercise."

The two-day exercise was to create opportunities for institutions yet to be evaluated to go through the process while those already evaluated but are dissatisfied with placements on the SSSS to have their concerns reviewed and addressed.

Targeted institutions that require re-evaluation have been informed about the exercise and respondents were asked to bring along their job descriptions to assist them in successfully completing job analysis questionnaires they would be required to fill.

The Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) has superior benefits over previous pay systems which include ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in managing the Wage Bill, the removal of disparities in Public Service Salaries and eventually make public service pay competitive for the attraction and retention of the right mix of skills within a stable micro-economic environment.

Dr Kwarteng said that based on previous job evaluation exercise done in Ghana and from existing salary relativity both internal and international, GMA had observed with worry that the anomalies that existed in the pay structure was an affront to academic and excellent job output.

"For example, all paramedics who on previous exercise were on the same level with the medical officers have been placed on the level of principal medical officer on the SSSS. Similarly, all paramedics who by previous exercise were on the same level with the senior medical officer have been placed at the same level with the specialist on the SSSS. We think this is an affront to the academic and excellent job output and that should be corrected," he said.

Dr Kwarteng said GMA expected the commission to resolve all grievances before implementing the policy adding that detailed negotiations concerning market premium needed to be done.

Mr Godfred Abledu, National President of Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) told GNA that members of the association expected to be placed high on the structure and appealed to the FWSC to expedite action towards the implementation of the SSSS by July 2010.

He said though organised labour had pushed forward a proposal towards a 25 per cent increment in salary, government had not done anything about the increment stressing that government needed to increase salaries of workers this year before the implementation of the SSSS.

Referring to the proposed 25 per cent increase in salaries for workers, Mr Abledu said "this will cushion workers while they wait for the implementation of the SSSS. This year nothing has been done towards upward adjustment of salaries."

     Mrs Eva Naa Adjeley Addo, Director at the Salary Grading, Re-grading and Job Evaluation of FWSC gave the assurance that the negotiations, evaluation and re-evaluation processes would end by April 2010 leaving more room for trial test of the implementation of SSSS.

She said the commission would continue to work with transparency and integrity and in collaboration with all social partners and the rank and file of public servants for the collective implementation of the salary structure in a sustainable manner such that no public sector worker would be disadvantaged.

The FWSC is the institution mandated by government to oversee the implementation of the SSPP. It was proposed in 2005 by a government consultant to resolve distortions in pay administrative system and correct the distortions.

Placement on the SSSS is based on a 25-level Grade Structure, constructed after a job evaluation exercise of 1,806 benchmark jobs, selected from 92 institutions throughout the country.

A conversion criterion has been developed by the FWSC with clear guidelines on how incumbents would be placed on the salary structure.

GNA