Educationist, Mr. Ernest Akosah has argued that the president did not breach any constitutional provision in the appointment of the new Director- General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
He observes executive appointment of personnel to any key public office, especially governance architecture is done with utmost due diligence to ensure the suitability and competency of the individual concerned.
Ernset Akosah noted education is one of most sensitive and critical sectors of the country’s development agenda which any government endeavors to prioritize in order to achieve the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the educationist, recent agitation by some teacher unions over the appointment of the new Director General (DG) of the Ghana Education Service (GES) raises serious fundamental issues that need to be dealt with caution.
In his opinion, the appointment of a Director General of Ghana Education Service is the sole prerogative of the sitting president to choose whom he deems fit and qualified to lead the service.
Mr Akosah noted that, Sections 19 (1) (2) (a) and (b) of the Pre-Tertiary Education Act 2020 (act 1049) and Article 195 of the 1992 constitution did not explicitly state the very educational qualification that one needs to fit for appointment as GES Director General.
He said it is against the background that the president in the exercise his executive functions chose Dr Eric Nkansah to fill the position.
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He said all existing statutory provisions clearly vindicates the president as far as his choice on the new DG is concern.
“Rhetorically, where is it stated that occupying the office of Director General of Ghana Education service requires a professional teacher”, he quizzed.
He emphasized the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) recognition of the immeasurable role that teacher unions play in the implementation of educational reforms in the country.
He however, maintained that the GNACOPS and other Teacher Unions have no cause complaining about the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as the new Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
He said is was a surprise that the Ghana National Association of Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) in a press release captioned “the law is not subservient to the appointment of the new GES DG” purported a breach of Sections 67 (1), 68 (1) (a) and 79 (1) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
He indicated that the import of the statutory provisions is not applicable in the appointment of a Director General of Ghana Education service and urged the leadership of GNACOPS to correct that statutory blunder.
