Description

GES Promotions Portal https://gespromotions.gov.gh/



The Ghana Education Service (GES) was established, as part of the Public Service of Ghana, in 1974 by NRCD 247 and was subsequently amended by NRCD 252, 357 and SMCD 63. Under the forth Republican Constitution of Ghana, these earlier legislations have been amended by Acts of Parliament, including Act 506 (1994) and Act 778 (2008). The GES is governed by a fifteen-member Council called the GES Council.



Vision Statement

The Ghana Education Service (GES) seeks to create an enabling environment in all educational institutions and management positions that will facilitate effective teaching and learning and efficiency in the management of the attainment of the goals of the Service.



Mission Statement

To ensure that Ghanaian children of school-going age are provided with quality formal education and training through effective and efficient management of resources to make education delivery relevant to the manpower needs of the nation.



Mandate of GES

GES is responsible for the implementation of pre-tertiary educational policies of the Government to ensure that all Ghanaian children of school-going age irrespective of tribe, gender, disability, religious and political affiliations are provided with good quality formal education.



Objectives of GES

The objectives of GES are in accordance with the National Policy Objectives espoused in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP). The key objectives of the Service are as follows:



Increase inclusive and equitable access to and participation in education at all levels

Ensure provision of life skills training and management of personal hygiene, family life, gender, health, HIV/AIDS/STIs, etc.

Improve the quality of teaching and learning

Improve the Management of education service delivery



There are four (4) main programmes under the GES and these include:

Pre-tertiary education management including Headquarters Divisions, Regional and District directorates

Basic Education, comprising Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High Schools

Secondary Education comprising SHS and TVET

Special and Inclusive Education



Meanwhile, Basic Education has been redefined to include Secondary Education as part of the Government’s new policy initiative on Pre-tertiary Education.



Functions

The functions of GES are as follows:



To provide and oversee Basic Education, Senior High Education, Technical Education as well as Special Education

To register, supervise and inspect private pre-tertiary educational institutions

To submit to the Minister the recommendations for educational policies and programmes

To promote the efficiency and full development of talents among its members

To register teachers and keep an up-to-date register of all teachers in the public system

To carry out such other functions as are incidental to the attainment of the functions specified above.

To maintain professional standards and the conduct of its personnel



On-going Reforms

As part of efforts to promote quality pre-tertiary education service delivery, the following reforms have been or are being made:



Re-alignment of the Teacher Education Division of GES as an agency under the Ministry of Education (now known as the National Teaching Council)

Re-alignment of the Curriculum Research and Development Division of GES as an agency under the Ministry of Education (now known as the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment)

Re-alignment of the Inspectorate Division of GES as an agency under the Ministry of Education (now called the National Inspectorate Board)

Re-alignment of the Technical/Vocational Education Division (TVED) of GES as an agency under the Ministry of Education (to be named Ghana Technical Education Service)

Creation of a new division of GES (to be called Management Service Division) which shall include Special and Inclusive Education, Guidance and Counselling and School Health Education Programme (SHEP)





Collaboration with Development Partners, Private Sector and Stakeholders

The following organisations and stakeholders are partnering the GES in the implementation of its programmes and activities:



United Nations Children’s Fund (for Education Programme)

United Nations Children’s Fund (for Education Programme)

United States Agency for International Development (for Partnerships for Education Project: Social Impact, Learning, Innovation, Improving Reading Performance in Primary Schools)

United Kingdom for International Development (for Complementary Basic Education Programme)

Belgium/TELEVIC (for Supply and Installation of Integrated E-learning Lab for 240 SHSs)

Kreditanstalt Wiederaufbau (KfW)-( for Supporting Vocational Training: Voucher Programme)

World Bank- (for Ghana Secondary Education Improvement Project)

Kuwait-(for Expansion and Development of 26 Existing SHS Project)



Key Strategic Focus Areas within 4-Year Sector Medium-Term Plan

The following organisations and stakeholders are partnering the GES in the implementation of its programmes and activities:



Pre-tertiary education management including Headquarters Divisions, Regional and District directorates

Basic Education, comprising Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High Schools

Secondary Education comprising SHS and TVET

Special and Inclusive Education



Current Programmes

Complementary Basic Education (CBE) programme

Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP)

Special and Inclusive Education (SIE) programme

Pre-tertiary Education Management programme





Challenges, Prospects and Achievements

Approximately 82% of the total GES budget is allocated for the payment of salaries crowding out other expenditures

Inadequate furniture, especially at the basic school level

Inadequate supply of sanitation facilities such as gender-friendly toilets/urinals, especially at the basic school level

Inadequate infrastructure in over-subscribed Senior High Schools

Inadequate logistics for effective monitoring and supervision

Inadequate TLMs and core textbooks

Lack of teachers to handle key subject areas like Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry

Inadequate facilities for In-service Education and Training

Inadequate Language experts and facilities for implementing the Language Policy

Lack of science equipment in basic schools

Non-release of transfer grant for the Staff Rationalisation Policy

Delayed payment of salary arrears due to the Ministry of Finance’s policy on payment of three (3) months of salary arrears and which affects staff motivation

To reduce the attrition rate through teacher motivation and increase the number of trained teachers through on-going programmes, such as the UTDBE

To deploy more teachers to deprived areas, such as the three Northern regions of Ghana, to reduce the disparity in Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR)

To resource the newly created districts with office and residential accommodation facilities, including vehicles, for District Directors

To strengthen School Performance Appraisal Meetings in communities and to promote quality preparation of School Performance Improvement Plans (SPIPs)

To introduce measures to reduce cost of utilities for second-cycle institutions

To enforce the implementation of staff establishment norms so as to ensure that teachers in JHS/SHS cover a minimum of 24 periods a week

There has been a successful implementation of the Government’s Free SHS programme

There has been access to CBE classes for 182,652 out of school children over the last four-year period (2013/14-2016/17) with over 49.4% female participation

There has been significant success in the project targets of the SEIP programme

There has been 100 per cent increase in the Capitation grant for schools and the releases have been timely.