The Pre-Tertiary Education Bill, 2019 has been laid and gone through the First Reading on the floor of Parliament.
The objective of the Bill is to provide for a decentralised pre-tertiary education system and an educational system to produce individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills and values, to become functional and productive citizens for national development, to establish a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service, and to provide for related matters.
Part one of the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill, 2019 provides for a decentralised basic education system in Ghana.
The Bill reconciles the conflicting provisions of the Ghana Education Service Act 1995, (Act 506) and the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778) in order to comply with section 31 (3) of Act 778.
Section 13 (3) of Act 778 requires that “within twelve months of the coming into force of this Act, the Ghana Education Service Act, 1995 (Act 506) shall be amended to conform with the provisions of this Act”.
Part two of the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill, 2019 establishes a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service.
The objective of the Service is to manage, oversee and implement approved national policies and programmes relating to non-tertiary technical and vocational education, and skills development.
The new Service will help the government to shift the emphasis from grammar education to technical and vocational education in Ghana.
The Pre-Tertiary Education Bill, 2019 is made up of 102 Clauses and one Schedule.
The Schedule lists the Technical and Vocational Education, and Training institutions currently under the various Ministries, which shall be absorbed into the Service.
The Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, presented the The Education Regulatory Bodies Bill, 2019 at the Plenary.
The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, subsequently referred the Bill to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education for consideration and report.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi