John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), underscored the pivotal role of private schools as partners with the government in delivering quality education for Ghanaian children.
Addressing the launch of the 2024 annual week celebration of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, Mahama commended the significant contributions of private schools to the educational sector over the years.
He hailed them as pioneers and innovators, introducing novel teaching techniques and methodologies into the system.
The former president highlighted the Montessori curriculum as an example, noting that private schools were the first to adopt it before some public schools followed suit to enhance teaching and learning.
Mahama, leading the NDC into the December presidential and parliamentary elections, also emphasized the effectiveness of private schools in catering to special children due to their favorable teacher-to-pupil ratio.
He pointed out that public schools face challenges in attending to all children, especially those with special needs, due to their high student numbers.
Private schools, Mahama stressed, play a vital role in the education sector.
Mahama assured the private schools association that an NDC government would prioritize education and convene all stakeholders in the industry to assess the entire education framework, spanning from basic to tertiary levels.
He pledged heavy investments in basic education starting in 2025 to establish a robust foundation for the education sector.
Regarding secondary education, the NDC leader committed to integrating private secondary schools into the free SHS program, noting that many of them possess the requisite infrastructure and human resources to support the initiative.
Mahama referenced a recent Edu-Watch report highlighting the continued burden shared by parents and the government at the secondary education level, with parents still covering about 77% of the cost of educating their children despite the implementation of the free SHS policy.
