The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has ended an educational leadership summit held at Bunso in the Eastern Region to sharpen the skills and develop the knowledge levels of private school leaders.
The five-day summit, which started on Tuesday, August 2, and ended on Saturday, August 5, highlighted and brain-stormed the best ways and practices that management of private schools and teachers need to adapt to enhance growth and foster collaboration among their various regulatory authorities.
Representing the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, at the event, the Deputy Minister in Charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (T-VET), Mrs. Gifty Twum Ampofo, expressed the government’s readiness to continue to support educational policies and programs to improve quality education in Ghana.
Mrs. Ampofo called on players in the private education sector to adopt ongoing reforms such as ensuring that all teachers are licensed, developing the T-VET, and other reforms aimed at transforming the educational sector.
She assured the government of continuous support in ensuring that private education is not left out of policies and programs aimed at improving education in the country.
Addressing participants, the Executive Director of GNACOPS, Mr. Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, revealed that the summit fostered collaboration, shared best practices, and equipped educational leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to drive sustainable development in private education.
Mr. Gyetuah said GNACOPS believes that strong and adaptive school leadership is essential in meeting the ever-changing landscape of education and ensuring the success of students.
He said the theme of the event, “Building Resilient and Innovative School Leaders for Sustainable Development,” was carefully chosen because the focus was on planned and interactive workshops that addressed various aspects of educational leadership.
From private school management to curriculum development and from marketing strategies to parent-teacher collaboration.
The summit covered a wide range of topics that were relevant to the development of private education, and discussions were focused on valuable insights and practical strategies that one needs to experience the change required for growth.
“Let us rise to the challenges faced by our educational institutions, provides an ideal platform to do so and work together, embracing innovation and shape the future of education in Ghana and beyond,” he stated.
“And let seize this opportunity to collaborate, learn from one another, and collectively build a resilient and innovative school leaders who will lead us towards a sustainable and prosperous future.”
The Executive Director and Inspector General of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), Dr. Haggar Hilda Ampadu, assured all private school owners and management to report officials who visit their schools and end up abusing them over licensing fees.
This came to light during the summit when some private school owners shared their experiences of harassment they suffer at the hands of NaSIA officers working in various districts and assemblies.
Dr. Ampadu said that as a regulatory body, NaSIA is aimed at ensuring high standards and playing the inspectorate role in all basic schools to improve quality and standards in both the private and public sectors.
On the matter of charging the same fees to both low- and high-endowed private schools in the country, she said the regulatory body is currently embarking on data collection of all private schools nationwide to establish their status before making a pronouncement.
She thanked the management of GNACOPS for honoring her contribution in the educational sector and her specific interest in promoting private education.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Board Chairman of GNACOPS, Mr. Steve Revss, said the creation of GNACOPS has brought hope to private education and became the deal-breaker in this previously-presumed lost cause.
Mr. Revs GNACOPS has come to stay and bridge the gap that existed between private education and governmental institutions tasked with regulating education in the country.
He used the occasion to thank all collaborators, supporters, and sponsors, such as Transforming Teacher Education and Learning, the National Schools Inspectorate Authority, the National Teaching Council, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Social Security, and the National Insurance Trust.
Others he mentioned are the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Commission for Technical and Vocational Educational and Training, the Ghana Enterprise Agency, and many others who graced the summit with both financial support and expertise.
“As we welcome you to this very important Summit, it’s our prayer that you return fulfilled and much better than when you came in, having been empowered with modern skills and trends in educational leadership to chart the next course of education in Ghana,” he stated
He tasked participants to find time to participate in all activities like the canopy walk, health walks, horseriding, etc., and also to take in the absolute beauty of nature as it presents itself at this venue.
In all over 250 private school teachers, proprietors, managers and owner attended the summit.
