Debates of 9 Mar 2006

MR. SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:05 a.m.
CORRECTION OF VOTES 10:05 a.m.
AND PROCEEDINGS AND 10:05 a.m.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
Order! Order! Correction of Votes and Proceedings, Wednesday 8th March, 2006.
Mr. K. Agyei-Addo 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, page 6, Item 4, sub section 14, Mrs. Grace Coleman -- she is listed as absent. Indeed, she was absent but with permission.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
Than-- I was present yesterday but my name has been indicated among those who were absent.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
Thank you for the correction.
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is equally so for the hon. Member for Saboba, who is the Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development. He sought permission. Hon. Akwasi Afrifa and hon. Frimpong Kofi, MP for Kwabre East. He also has sought permission, if the Table Office may take note of that. They were absent alright but with permission.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
Hon. Members, we do not have the Official Report.
Item 3, Minister for Education, Youth
and Sports -- Is he in the House?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we have established contact with him and he says he is on his way coming. I do not really know what is holding him up. But I believe any moment from now he will put in an appearance here to answer the Questions.
Mr. J. Y. Chireh 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is on pain of telling the truth that I am saying this that it appears that the hon. Ministers are not taking this House very seriously. If you also look at the quorum in this House and you tie it with the advice given by the President when he was delivering the State of the Nation Address about how we should speed up businesses in government circles, something ought to be done and the hon. Ministers that we are asking Questions of and indeed, hon. Members of Parliament should make it a point to let us start on time.
Charity, you know, begins at home; we are supposed to be having oversight responsibilities over other agencies and if by our own conduct - Currently we do not form a quorum and if we look at article 102 of the Constitution and Standing Order 48, there is no question about whether we are transacting Public Business, we should just form a quorum; and we have not formed one. Mr. Speaker, I think that you must do something more seriously about this issue.
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, yes indeed I agree basically with what my hon. Colleague has said, that we need to be more diligent with our work than we have done so far. Indeed, when we commenced when we were saying prayers there were just about forty of us in the Chamber. Even though the number has significantly increased over the past
five minutes, it is still not the best. So I agree basically with what he has said except to observe that the hon. Minister for Education and Sports is known to be one of the most diligent Members of Parliament and he brings same to bear on his Ministry. Mr. Speaker, we got in touch with him and fortunately he is here. We got in touch with him and we were told he was on his way coming - I do not really know what held him up for the period and so we should, at least, accord him that respect that as far as he is concerned, he brings same diligence on his ministerial responsibilities - [Pause.] Mr. Speaker, now that he is here, I think we can take the normal Business.
Minority Leader (Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin) 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think this issue has been raised actually under Standing Order 48, and under the same Standing Order, definitely we have ten minutes within which to ring the bell and see whether hon. Members are around to let us form a quorum. I am sure that is why maybe we are hearing the bell being rung; it is permitted under Standing Order 48.
But it is also important to emphasize that the statement did not actually refer to any particular Minister. In fact, he was not talking about the Minister for Education and Sports, it was a general statement. We know the zeal, the enthusiasm with which he at least, performs his duty. But generally, it is not only today, even yesterday, a few days ago, we were confronted with the same issue. It is important for hon. Members to know, especially my hon. Colleagues in the Majority, that it is not easy to be in the Majority. They must make sure that they work and make sure that their agenda is implemented. Mr. Speaker, it is not just a matter of coming and signing and voting and going away. They have to be present
and they have to debate us.
Mr. Speaker, this is a point that we have to emphasize and make sure that our people comply and perform their duties judiciously. Mr. Speaker, the hon. Minister is around, and as I said, we have ten minutes so we can start the Business and after ten minutes we will see whether we can form a quorum.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10:15 a.m.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION 10:15 a.m.
AND SPORTS 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Afotey-Agbo 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the hon. Minister if by his Answer he wants to say that his Ministry has no plan to give Kpone a senior secondary school.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry now has 476 secondary schools and only 23 technical schools. Under the new education reform the Ministry's efforts have been concentrated on the establishment of technical schools and therefore new secondary schools would
be provided if efforts are made at the local level; then we will come in and adopt it. In our own plans the Answer is, no; but if it is a technical school the Answer is more probably, yes.
Mr. Afotey-Agbo 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, with the numerous conditions the hon. Minister has listed, I want to know whether he did inform the Municipal Education Office in Tema of all these things so that they would be aware of it.
Mr. Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Your question again, please?
Mr. Afotey-Agbo 10:25 a.m.
I want to ask the hon. Minister whether he did inform the Municipal Education Office so that the people in the area will know about all these conditions.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Municipal, Regional and District Directors of Education are responsible for implementing this and indeed, these conditions emanate from their offices. So they are certainly aware of these conditions for establishing second cycle schools and it is their duty to inspect and report to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) of the availability of these facilities for approval. So they certainly know about these.
Mr. Iddrisu Dawuda (NDC - Karaga) 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, looking at the rural settings in this country, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister; is it not a deliberate attempt to deprive these communities from getting secondary schools? [Interruptions.] I am saying this because the requirements - [Interrup- tion.]
Mr. Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon. Member, if you have a specific question, please ask your specific question.
Mr. Dawuda 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in all these matters we have established criteria and these criteria are transparently known by his District Assembly. At the moment we have seven applications from other District Assemblies and traditional areas asking for us to adopt -- having fulfilled these conditions. So it is ongoing and people and areas and District Assemblies do provide them. The District Assemblies Common Fund is meant to assist districts which, in their own estimation, require these to put up the necessary conditions and invite us to absorb them; and when they do we do so happily.
Mr. Dawuda 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, with the conditions being enumerated by the hon. Minister, it means that it would take time for Karaga District to get a senior secondary school. May I know from the hon. Minister whether there would not be the need for us to start from somewhere because there is a saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. So if we start and then we see the problems coming up at least we would be able to solve them one after the other.
But for the hon. Minister to say that all these conditions should be fulfilled before a secondary school could be established, then Mr. Speaker, I think it would take a long time. So may I know from the hon. Minister whether there would not be the need to start from somewhere.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague is answering the Question. You have to fulfill certain conditions; they are either there or not there. To “start from somewhere” - I do not quite understand what he means. That we put up the
Mr. Dawuda 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in the Answer given by the hon. Minister, he stated that the location of the schools should be such that there is no senior secondary school within a radius of ten miles. The only secondary school near Karaga is in Gushiegu which is 18 kilometers away. So it means that Karaga is really ready for a secondary school because the children have to travel about 18 kilometers to attend a senior secondary school.
So my question is, when we remise, at least, the hon. Minister should give the go-ahead for the opening of a senior secondary school, and as the problems
Mr. Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon. Member, what is your question?
Mr. Dawuda 10:25 a.m.
My question is that I am still appealing to the hon. Minister to reconsider the opening of a secondary school around Karaga.
Dr. Ben Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have one question and a short related question. My question is whether the requirement of a ten-kilometer radius for the setting up of a senior secondary school is in accord with the UNESCO standards, or it approximates the UNESCO standards. And the related question is that - [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 10:25 a.m.
No, you ask one question at one time. Yes, hon. Minister for Education and Sports?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, that is a good one. The UNESCO standards also prescribe population density, that is why on the number two we talked about a certain number of junior secondary school (JSS) 3 schools within the catchment area. So it is not only restricted to a ten mile radius but it also refers to the number of schools which should feed the senior secondary schools (SSS). The UNESCO standards talk between five and fifteen so ten is within it but we should not restrict ourselves only to the distance but the population. In certain city areas even five kilometres would be more than enough because the density of JSS within the area
could be more than enough to warrant a school; so I think that is alright.
Dr. Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, just a point of correction. The UNESCO standards are quoted in kilometers not in miles - [Interruptions.] He said miles; his figure is in miles; that is what I am saying - [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon. Member, ask your
question.
Dr. Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the second
question is this. We seem to have a mechanical requirement for toilets for students for boys and girls. Is it still a requirement if it is a single sex school?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, if
it is an all boys' school then naturally that separation would not be necessary and we would be guided by that. If it is an all girls' school that condition may not be necessary. But even under such circumstances there should be a toilet for visitors who may be of the opposite sex.
Mr. Paul E. Aidoo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
as a condition for opening a new senior secondary school, the hon. Minister said that at least, 50 per cent of the teaching staff should be professionals and permanent staff. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether really this Answer should be a condition since I know that it is the Ghana Education Service (GES) that recruits and posts teachers. Should it be a condition for the community to fulfill?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, yes, it is a condition. Invariably the application for absorption into the Ghana Education Service deals with existing schools which have started at the local level and we do not want a situation where all the teachers are part-time teachers so we insist on 50 per cent being permanent. After we have absorbed it, it is the duty of the GES to recruit for the school but before then, no.
In fact, in most towns that are struggling, you will be amazed, they have to pay the teachers concerned.
Mr. J. K. Avedzi 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Minister, in his Answer for the Question, he is now shifting our attention from secondary schools to technical schools. I would like to find out from him, within the five years, from 2001how many technical schools has his Ministry established?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank
Mr. Stephen Kunsu 10:35 a.m.
I would like
to know from the hon. Minister how his Ministry would ensure equity in the distribution of secondary schools as the less endowed districts would be relegated to the background.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
today the distribution of secondary schools in the country in terms of population is quite equitable. We need to rather improve the facilities and the quality of teaching in these secondary schools and that is the priority of my Ministry in respect of the reform.
Dr. Kwame Ampofo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in
the Minister's Answer it appears the policy inclination is towards technical schools. I wish to know from him if secondary/ technical schools are considered technical or what in terms of policy inclination.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, out
of the 476 secondary schools about 93 of them are described as secondary/technical, but if you go to these schools there is hardly anything technical. So this is a very major problem. At some time, some training colleges were converted, and for them to get the permission, they decided to call it secondary/technical. They do not have any workshop; they do not have any equipment. They do not even have

a laboratory and therefore the first step we have to do to improve upon technical education is to bring the standard of the secondary/technical schools up on the technical side so that the name “secondary/ technical” would be worth that.

Schools like Government Secondary Technical School (GSTS) Takoradi - they are very well equipped and in terms of supplying the technical skilled workforce to the universities they lead in this country because they have both the technical and the grammar component of the school; and we should try to improve upon this for the existing ones. So I would say, yes, they are called secondary/technical but we need to provide them with additional facilities to make them really stand up and deserve to be called a technical school; and that mixture, in my view, is the area that we should emphasis. We have both secondary and technical and it is cheaper to do these additional facilities rather than starting a completely new one. So it would be, yes, we want to do that.
Ms. Akua Dansua 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
I would like to know from the hon. Minister if he would consider printing this requirement into a guide book form as he has done for the computerization of selection into SSS for us to be able to educate our people better when we get back home. It will make it easier for us to educate them as to what they need to do to qualify for SSS.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, to reduce the cost I would rather print copies, put it very nicely and distribute copies to all hon. Members of Parliament rather than printing a booklet out of it so that every hon. Member can also make more photocopies if the need arises.
Alhaji Y. K. Imoro 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in
the Minister's Answer -- He used one Answer to answer three Questions, but looking at the questions. Question 409,
even though they are all talking about secondary schools he ended by saying that since Karaga is a newly created district it means that Karaga is a complete district now and it is qualified to get a district that is why the Government has given it a district. So I want to find out from the hon. Minister whether it is proper for a full district not to have even one secondary school.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague has made a very strong case for Karaga. The Government's intention is to have at least, one good secondary school in each district. We had selected 110 earlier; 28 new districts have been created and therefore on the basis of the district having no secondary school, his point is taken up and I would initiate action to ensure that the district, if indeed they do not have any, has one.
Nii Amasah Namoale: Mr. Speaker,
may l know from the hon. Minister whether the Ministry is running away from its core business of establishing secondary schools? I ask this question because it is the responsibility of the Ministry to establish government assisted secondary schools in all our localities. So if a community sees that they are being passed by they would take over and say they also want secondary schools. So are they running away from Kpone by establishing a secondary school for them?
Mr. Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon. Member, what is
your question?
Nii Amasah Namoale: Mr. Speaker, I
am asking whether they are running away from their core business of establishing secondary schools in all communities that deserve it.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the core business of the Ministry of Education
and Sports is not to establish secondary schools in all localities; it is to deliver education, provide access to quality education to all Ghanaians of school going age.
And therefore, we are talking about locality; how do we define locality? We have given distance; we have given population; and we have to go by it.
Mr. Francis Agbotse 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
I would like to find out from the hon. Minister for Education and Sports whether if a community would want to set up a technical school, it would be exempted from the ten kilometre or the ten miles radius.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
certainly yes. Because the mapping out of technical school education is different from the second cycle's and the technical schools are of different nature. So these same things will not be applicable. In the case of technical schools we are indeed looking for funding to initiate the action by Government. This is completely different. In this particular case, the districts must initiate the action but the technical schools, the Government will initiate the action. They are two different scenarios.
Mr. Edward Salia 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in
view of the stringent conditions for the establishment of new senior secondary schools, I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether schools with the existing programmes can alter their programmes to include programmes that they already do not have. For instance, those offering Arts, can they add Science to their programmes? And what are the conditions for those?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I
did say in my earlier explanation that at the moment the effort of Government is to enrich the existing secondary schools,

to improve the quality of the existing secondary schools, which means that we must provide additional facilities to enable them offer various programmes, Arts, Science, Business, and Agriculture et cetera.

So that will be something that we

would encourage because it is cheaper to enrich and improve the second cycle schools by increasing the programme and therefore virtually expanding also the intake because that will be better for us.

Aboaso L/A JSS (Completion of BSI-6 Unit Classroom Block)

Q. 296. Mr. Kojo Opare-Hammond

(on behalf of Mr. Kofi Frimpong asked the Minister for Education and Sports when the construction of the BSI-6 Unit Classroom Block and ancillary facilities for Aboaso L/A Junior Secondary School at Aboaso would be completed.
Mr. Osafo Maafo 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry approached the Consultants superv is ing the pro jec t , Messrs Architectural and Engineering Services Limited, Kumasi, who indicated that the contractor working on the project abandoned site for some months after a total amount of ¢153,696,173.03 had been released to him for work so far executed. So the contractor was paid for work done and he abandoned site.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the inaction on the part of the contractor, the Consultants AESL had a meeting with him on the need to complete the project on schedule.
Mr. Speaker, reports now reaching the Ministry indicate that the contractor has resumed work and will complete the project in the course of this year. An
amount of about ¢240,000,000 has been set aside in the GETFund Budget this year to complete this project.
Mr. Opare-Hammond 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would want to further ask whether furniture is included in the amount of two hundred and four million cedis that has been set aside from the GETFund for the completion of this project.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this
does not include furniture; this is a purely physical infrastructure. The furniture programme is taken on separately and we buy furniture in bulk and distribute to the schools. So this is physical construction of the school and the furniture will come under a separate budget.
Six-Unit Classroom Project for Gyaama Pensan Sec/Tech. School
(Completion)
Q. 297. Mr. Kojo Opare-Hammond
(on behalf of Mr. Kofi Frimpong asked the Minister for Education and Sports when the six-unit classroom project for the Gyaama Pensan Secondary Technical School at Aboaso started and abandoned in 1999 will be completed.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Ghana Educat ion Service is currently undertaking the construction and rehabilitation of over 500 projects countrywide and these project at various stages of completion. It is the policy of the Service to complete a considerable number of these before new projects are taken on.
Mr. Speaker, the completion of the 6-unit classroom block at the above- named school would be considered when new projects are being listed for funding.
Hohoe South Constituency Schools (Improvement of Infrastructure)
Q. 410. Mr. Joseph Z. Amenowode asked the Minister for Education and Sports what plans his Ministry had for the improvement of infrastructure - classrooms and hostels - for the following distressed schools in the Hohoe South constituency:
(i) Agate Secondary School,
(ii) Have Technical Institute,
(iii) Logba Jim Burton Memorial Agricultural Secondary School,
(iv) Ve Secondary School,
(v) Leklebi Secondary School.
Mr. Osafo Maafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague must be happy to have about five institutions with the Constituency. Mr. Speaker, GES has started the improvement and provision of facilities at the above-mentioned schools.
Mr. Speaker, at Agate Secondary School a 6-unit classroom block was started in 1999. However the project was suspended in 2000 for lack of funds. It is hoped that the 6-unit classroom block would be reactivated when funds become available.
Mr. Speaker, at Have Technical Institute, a 2-storeyed girls' dormitory block was started in 2003 at a contract sum of ¢4,21,389,572. An amount of ¢1,620,624,000.00 has been paid to date. 52 per cent of works have been completed. An amount of ¢3 billion has been budgeted to complete the project from GETFund resources. This year. Mr. Speaker, you will notice that the figure should include three zeros, one billion six hundred and twenty million.
Mr. Speaker, at Logba Agricultural Secondary School, a computer resource center is being constructed at a contract
sum of ¢237,250,420. An amount of ¢251,482,329 has been paid to date. 70 per cent of works have been completed. An amount of ¢600,000,000 has been approved for the project so far. An additional ¢200 million has been budgeted for the work from GETFund resources as a reserve budget.

Mr. Speaker, at Ve Secondary School, a 6-unit classroom block is under construction. 84 per cent of the works have been completed. The project was started on 16th September, 1997 and was expected to be completed by 18th March, 1998 at an initial contract sum of ¢177,434,435. An amount of ¢433,982,900 has been paid to date. Again, a sum of ¢120,000,000 has been approved this year to complete the project.

Mr. Speaker, at Leklebi Secondary School, a 2-storeyed girl's dormitory has also been started. The contract sum is ¢2,438,416,700 and 24 per cent of works is completed. The project was started in 2003. An amount of ¢541,500,000 has been paid to date. The work is on-going and an amount of ¢400 million has been allocated in the 2006 budget to continue the work.
Mr. J. Z. Amenowode 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the compliment of the hon. Minister on the number of schools in my constituency and to assure him that for us education is our only business and that all the schools are full. We have on the average between three hundred and eight hundred students in them.
Now, Mr. Speaker, it is evident from the dates of the start of these projects that most of them started some nine years back and are still ongoing. I would want to know from the hon. Minister, especially in respect of Agate Secondary School which was started in 1999 and no provision has been made for it all this time, what plans
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy that my hon. Colleague's constituency is taking education very, very seriously. As you would have noticed, most of these projects in that constituency started way back in 1997, and the policy of starting many projects and not completing them is denying the schools the availability of the facilities for use. Therefore, it is now the policy to make sure that all ongoing projects are completed before we touch on new ones. So we are really doing a detailed auditing of these ongoing projects and I can assure him that we may, after the audit, which maybe completed at the end of April on all ongoing projects, be able to set aside money to complete these projects. But as a policy, we want to complete ongoing projects before we start entirely new ones.
Mr. Amenowode 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I do not think I have got my answer because this is not a new project; it was started in 1997. So it is not as though we are now asking for it.
Mr. Speaker 10:55 a.m.
So you may wish to ask a question.
Mr. Amenowode 10:55 a.m.
My question still stands; that when does he think they will start work on these projects.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I did say that we have a number of ongoing projects, which have been stopped over the years. We have to audit these projects, which were started but have been stopped, and do estimates of the requirements in terms of money to complete these projects, and then continue with them. And this is one of the projects, which was started in 1999 but was stopped. We need to complete the project and we will come with the analysis after the auditing; it is a technical auditing of ongoing projects. Without the audit, we will not even know
how much money would be required to complete the projects. So we need to do that and, as I said, it is ongoing nationwide and after that we will come to it. So he should please rest assured.
Mr. Amenowode 10:55 a.m.
My second question to the hon. Minister [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 10:55 a.m.
If I allow you - [Interruptions] - Go ahead.
Mr. Amenowode 10:55 a.m.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the hon. Minister's Answer pertaining to Have Technical Institute, he mentioned a two-storeyed girls' dormitory block which has started, and I want to say that it is true; it is on course. But I am having a little difficulty in understanding what is two-storey and what is one- storey. For me in Ghana, “two-storeyed” means three blocks; that is two blocks on one, simply put, unless you are using the American system, which is one on one. Now, my information is that the Have Technical Institute project is one on one. I would want to know from the hon. Minister if that is his concept or the Ministry's concept of two-storey building.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is not my concept of two-storeyed; it is the definition of two-storeyed - [Laughter] - The hon. Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing is here; what he defines technically is what the Government or State takes. But two-storeyed is two- storeyed [Laughter] So I really do not know what he is talking about.
Mr. Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Let us give him one more chance.
Mr. Amenowode 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am still not clear but I will see him later. The hon. Minister in his Answer expressed the desire of his Ministry to enrich, if I may use his own words, and improve facilities in existing schools especially technical and vocational schools. From previous
answers, I heard him emphasize the improvement of science resources in the schools, which means science, technical and vocational resources. Fortunately for me, all my schools are technical and vocational ones yet they do not have any facilities. I would want to know from the hon. Minister what plans he has to enrich and improve these five schools in my constituency with technical, vocational and science equipment.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I did explain that there are secondary/technical schools so named but not worth being technical schools because there is nothing technical about them. Therefore, it is a policy for us to provide facilities to make them worth the names, and certainly when we are carrying out this national exercise his schools cannot be left out. Technically, we want to improve on facilities in technical schools, in secondary schools, with mathematics and sciences, et cetera. So he should be rest assured that it is a national exercise and we will not single him out; but he will not be left out when we are carrying this out as a national exercise. We are looking for funding to carry this major thing out and luckily for him, he has all the three that he is talking about. He has agricultural, technical and vocational schools; so in any national effort to improve this facility he will be a major beneficiary.
Mr. Raphael Kofi Ahaligah 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the hon. Minister could make it possible for Members of Parliament to have access to the policy establishing community secondary schools.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this was adequately captured in my third Answer and I have also promised to print for my hon. Colleagues this policy matter on the establishment of community or second-cycle schools in the country - what
the community and the district must fulfill before the Government comes in.
Mr George Arthur 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want an explanation from where a technical institute at Have was awarded at a contract sum of ¢4,210,389,572.00. Out of this amount, Mr. Speaker, the contractor was paid ¢1,620,624,000.00. In addition, the Ministry added ¢3 billion to this amount which makes it ¢4,620,624,000.00. So I want to ask the Minister why they are paying more than the contract sum to the contractor.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this technical institute project involves supply of some equipment and computers and you will notice that the first sum was about ¢4.2 billion; ¢1.6 billion had been paid out and to enable us provide this additional equipment ¢3 billion has been set aside to complete and provide them. This is a technical school and therefore some basic equipment must come along with it.
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to find out from the Minister if the Ministry has a standard cost for the construction of 6-unit classroom blocks, and if so, whether he will not consider the payment of about ¢553,600,000 in respect of the 6-unit classroom block at Ve Secondary School as a bit of an overshot?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the 6-unit classroom block design came out with various costs from various districts and regions and the Ministry tried to provide a standard cost for all of them, to the same design and we are doing exactly that now. We are going further to also provide certain standard designs for dining halls, for laboratories, for dormitories, and so on and so forth, because what happens now is that if the school is to put up a girls dormitory AESL does the design and the designs are varied from school to school and this makes controlling the cost

difficult. We think that there should be standard designs of certain types, one for large schools, one for medium and one for small so once one is collected it is easier to do the costing.

So yes, that is how we think it should be. We discussed this matter last week and I think like Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah did in the late 1950s and 1960s, the Ghana Education Trust Schools were all of the same design and that enabled cost control and also even provided skills; because you are doing the same thing all over again and you will come out as an expert. So yes, we are thinking on the same line.

The Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (Rehabilitation)

Q. 411. Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho asked the Minister for Education and Sports when his Ministry would undertake rehabilitation of the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School at Legon which has seriously deteriorated to the point of collapse.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is one of our best mathematics and science secondary schools in the country and therefore we are very much mindful of the quality of education it provides.
Mr. Speaker, 4 projects have been initiated at Presby Boys' Secondary School, lagely. These are:
a) Rehabilitation of 3-storeyed classroom block
b) Construction of 1 bungalow.
c) C o n s t r u c t i o n o f 1 number dormitory block
d) C o n s t r u c t i o n o f 1 2 - unit classroom block.
Mr. Speaker, the construction of the bungalow was started in 2004 and completed last year at a contract sum of ¢352,000,000.00. An amount of ¢335,605,413.90 has been paid to date.
Mr. Speaker, 12 per cent of works has been completed at the 3-storeyed classroom block. An amount of ¢249,768,900 has been spent to date. Rehabilitation works were started last year and the work is on-going. An amount of ¢500 million has been budgeted from GETFund resources.
Mr. Speaker, the construction of a dormitory block was started in 1999 at an initial contract sum of ¢1,898,287,238. An amount of ¢733,032,451.11 has been paid to date. 39 per cent of works have been completed. An amount of ¢200 m has been allocated in the 2006 budget for the work.
Mr. Speaker, the 12-unit classroom block was started in 1999. However, it was suspended in 2000 for lack of funds. The initial contract sum was ¢237,2000,000.24 per cent of works have been completed. An amount of ¢135,361m193 has been paid to date.
Alhaji Sorogho 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, mentioned three projects which were initiated. In what year were these projects initiated and when was the last time he personally visited the school?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think in my response I did explain that some of the projects were started in 2004 and completed, some 1999 and so on and so forth. I have not personally visited the projects but my monitoring officers do visit the projects.
Alhaji Sorogho 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is surprising that he said he has not visited the school of late, because there was a serious disaster that happened in the
school and I was thinking that the way he started by praising the school as one of our very good science schools he would have found time out of his heavy schedule to visit there. Unfortunately he has not done that but I hope from here he may want to do that. But I want to find out from the Minister whether he is happy that since 1999 all projects that were ongoing in PRESEC are between 12 per cent and 39 per cent complete. Is he is happy about that?
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. Colleague should get some of the facts right. In respect of the bungalows, the project was started in 2004, not the same time. So you have projects starting at varying periods and ending at varying periods. Certainly, one would wish and you could see from all the other Answers provided that most of the projects had started as far back as 1997. Therefore, he must be lucky that five projects have started, two completed, and money has been provided to complete them. I would also ask my hon. Colleague to pick me up sometime next week so that the two of us could visit the school.
Alhaji Sorogho 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think I have to correct the impression; the project that was started and completed is only one; and that is the construction of the bungalows. All the others are on-going. But Mr. Speaker, as we speak now, on the 2nd of February, 2006 there was a heavy rainstorm and the three classroom blocks all the roofing was ripped off and as we speak now the roofing is still down. That was why I was saying that I thought that the Minister, taking that school as one of the very good schools, would have gone there.
But I assure him next week I will pick him so that we go together. But I would want to find out from the Minister whether the idea to use PRESEC as a science centre is still at the heart of the Ministry since all the projects that were started to make it a science college have all not been completed.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I also want my Colleague to know that the Deputy Minister for Secondary and Technical Education has visited the school since the disaster. So a Minister has been there, I have just been told. Mr. Ampofo- Twumasi has been there so we are on top of what is happening there.
PRESEC and some schools were established to provide nucleus science basis. That idea is fading out, we must be very clear. The idea of having a science resource centre where six or ten secondary schools go there to do science and they themselves have nothing is not the best way to promote the study of science. At the moment, we want every secondary school in Ghana to have a science laboratory so that teaching of science would not be a problem. Under the old system, if the bus which took these students there broke down, there would be no science classes. I do not think was the best.
Therefore, we are trying to promote science across the length and breadth of all the secondary schools. Those without the centres, like PRESEC, will be encouraged to maintain what they have and possibly improve upon them. But the idea of science resource centres is going to be resourced differently.
rose
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:15 a.m.
I think the former Director-General wants to put in a word.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. Member was referring to the Saudi Project which was started at PRESEC but abandoned before the Science Resource Centres Project came in. He wants to know whether that project, the Saudi Project, is still on the table or it has been abandoned. What I know is that by 1997 the funding had stopped and therefore we could not get money from Saudi sources to continue the project.
Mr. Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon. Member, this is not a question.
Mr. A. K. Agbesi 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would want to know from the Minister whether he will consider the situation at PRESEC to be so serious in view of the Question asked so that he can source funds from the GETFund and complete these on-going projects this year so that our children over there can have access to the use of these projects.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am reliably informed that a meeting was held this morning on the campus of PRESEC with the school's Board of Governors on the way forward. And in view of the importance of the school generally - I agree it is one of our best science second-cycle schools in the country - all efforts will be made to restore its supremacy in mathematics and science and provide additional funding to address their problem.
BILLS - FIRST READING 11:15 a.m.
BILLS - THIRD READING 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, there are four committee meetings advertised for the day. Indeed, one meeting has already taken place in respect of the Business Committee. Three other committees are going to meet today - the Committee on Government Assurances, Committee on Food and Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Mr. Speaker, having exhausted the programme for the day may I therefore move that this House do adjourn till tomorrow at 10.00 in the forenoon.
Ms. Akua Dansua 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion for adjournment.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 11:15 a.m.