PRIVATE EDUCATION DELIVERY- The GNACOPS Story

Background
In recent times, human development in the area of technology as well as the demands of the job market have given rise to new methods of learning and skill acquisition. The school and the general system of education have taken a paradigm shift. Countries all over the world are making frantic efforts to teachers are therefore required to reskill, (where they already have some skills in teaching), or acquire entirely new skills in teaching.  In Ghana, the contribution of the private schools in the quest for the nation to achieve a holistic all-inclusive and universally accepted education cannot be overlooked. With a greater part of the contribution concentrated at the basic level, there is the need for teachers who are well versed in modern trends in teaching and learning. The government of Ghana, in line with its policy to ensure quality education for every Ghanaian child is just about to introduce a Standard Curricula and also ensure that only qualified and certified persons are employed to teach. It has also put programmes in place to train and equip teachers in the public schools to effectively handle the new curricula

Implication for private schools.

Considering the upcoming curricula which is “alien” to almost every teacher in Ghana vis-à-vis the new policy on teacher employment, as well as government's effort to streamline the activities of the public schools, majority of the young men and women who teach in the private schools, (most of them not qualified or certified) will lose their jobs. This will lead to the collapsing of a lot of the private schools which serve a chunk of Ghanaian, children especially in the rural areas, and will ultimately thwart the nation's effort at giving every one of its younger citizens a world class education.

 Interventions.

The Ghana National Council of Private Schools, having the mandate as the internal regulatory body for private schools in Ghana, has in line with the various policies being rolled by the government to upgrade the educational delivery in Ghana put in place a series of interventions not only for teachers but ultimately to make all its member schools part of the success story concerning the growth of private education in Ghana. To this end two major flagship projects have been put in place. The first is the GNACOPS Volunteer Scheme, which members   will be direct beneficiaries of the second project, the Neogenics Teacher Training Programme. Aside these two main projects, the council will further engage other organisations in the drive towards continuous professional development for both teachers and managements. GNACOPS will also intensify its monitoring of teaching and learning in all its member schools.

Way forward.

GNACOPS is resolute in making its member schools a force to reckon with in terms of quality educational delivery and job creation. To this end, the council, spearheaded by the Research and Training Directorate is putting in place measures to guarantee private  education in Ghana to not only become at par with its peers internationally, but also, to effectively partner the government to achieve its developmental goals through quality education for every Ghanaian child. It will also ensure that all the young men and women who have ambitions to teach, particularly in the private schools get the requisite skills and certifications.

Mantey Jectey-Nyarko (PhD) 
Director: Training and Research
GNACOPS