A leading education advocate, Prince Opoku Afriyie has advised Education Minister-designate, Haruna Iddrisu to depart from the authoritarian approach of his predecessor and engage with stakeholders to revitalize Ghana’s ailing educational sector.
Speaking in an interview with Kojo Marfo on AbusuaNkommo at Abusua955FM, Prince Opoku Afriyie, President of the National Social Studies Association, has cautioned Haruna Iddrisu to eschew the top-down approach that characterized the tenure of Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, whose administration was criticized for ignoring the input of teachers, parents, and other stakeholders.
He said “One thing I dislike about Adutwum is that he doesn’t take others’ opinions seriously. Once he’s made up his mind, he doesn’t consider people’s input”.
According to him, during Dr. Adutwum’s tenure, the education sector was plagued by a top-down approach that ignored the input of teachers, parents, and other stakeholders.
“If you attend a teachers’ meeting, everyone there is knowledgeable, It’s a sector where, if you’re not a good listener who takes inputs from key stakeholders, you’ll find it challenging”, Prince Afriyie noted
He, however noted that the consequences of this approach by Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum were dire, describing his policies as theoretically based, which has render the sector poorly equipped and under-resourced.
“The level to which he raised education standards looked excellent on paper, but in reality, it was poor because there were no equipment or tools to cope with the policies.”
He believes that Member of Parliament for Builsa South Clement Apaak, a veteran education advocate, would have been a better choice for the Education Minister position. “During the NDC’s time in opposition, Apaak was often the one dealing with education issues, he’s well aware of the problems and challenges in the sector due to his interactions with us”, Prince Afriyie explained
In contrast, Prince Afriyie is less familiar with Haruna Iddrisu’s interpersonal skills, although he acknowledges his experience and calm demeanor.
Source:Starrfm.com.gh