Economic crisis teachers cause not Finance Minister – MoE official

Gifty Twum-Ampofo, Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technician and Vocational Education Training (TVET) citing the current economic crisis has said teachers must be blamed for challenges amid low gross tertiary enrollment ratio.

Speaking at the 175th Anniversary of Presbyterian College of Education, she said teachers in the country have failed to ensure the majority of second-cycle school students pass the WASSCE to get admission to tertiary institutions.

Attributing the low gross tertiary enrollment ratio to poor performance of students which negatively impacts the economy she said Gifty charged teachers to contribute enormously to the country’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio.

“Countries who have theirs 40% and above the GDP is fantastic and those of us who have it lower the economy is struggling so now the solution is a foundation that you have provided as a teacher,” Twum-Ampofo stated.

The Deputy Education Minister further stressed that in countries whose gross tertiary enrollment ratio is 40% and above, their GDP is fantastic, in those with lower gross tertiary enrollment ratio the economy is struggling.

“Research has proven that any country’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio has so much to do with GDP. So for our instructors and for our lecturers here once you have this responsibilities and you get so much committed then we are sure that the gross tertiary enrollment ratio will definitely increase and when that increase the GDP of the country will increase,” Twum-Ampofo stated.

She continued: “And for this simple reason, if the economy is not doing well it is not the economists, it is the teachers. Let me say that again if the economy is not doing well it is not the Finance Minister, it is not the economist it is the teacher. Because the performance of the economy depends on the country’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio.”

Gifty-Ampofo made the remarks on July 1, 2023, when speaking at the 175th Anniversary of Presbyterian College of Education on the theme “175 Years of Education Honouring Our Past, Celebrating The Present and Shaping The Future”.