After learning that certain schools lacked basic necessities, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the member of parliament for North Tongu, expressed his concern for Ghana's educational system.
He also bemoaned the Computerized School Selection and Placement System's unscrupulous practices (CSSPS).
Mr. Ablakwa suggested that the government rethink its goals for the education sector in his Tuesday appearance on JoyNews' AM show.
Citing the Vice President's promise of a free tablet, he said that the government should stop making "fanciful things" announcements in light of the shortage of fundamental necessities.
"I hear all kinds of fantastical announcements. When you observe reality, you will see that kids lack food, there is no furniture, and kids are laying on the ground, we're creating STEM schools, there are no textbooks, and you shouldn't be offering free iPads.
"Yeah, such things aren't necessarily terrible, but you see, the fundamentals. You cannot achieve those things if your basis is poor. Reprioritization is thus necessary, he added.
The member has also recommended that the government decentralise and strengthen the district directorate of education, along with a review of the government's goals in the field of education.
He said that by doing this, the district director would have access to the resources and equipment he or she needs to deal with some of the problems "at the micro level."
Mr. Ablakwa has praised JoyNews for the research into the "placement for sale" exposé and suggested that the human factor and Furthermore, in order to admit students based on merit, the CSSPS should eradicate its protocol culture.
What many referred to as an ugly condition in Ghana's education sector, particularly in the Northern Region, was uncovered in the JoyNews documentary "Schools of Shame."
Some of the major concerns addressed in the video include students studying in old facilities, a shortage of furniture, a lack of teaching and learning tools, and a lack of human resources in the education system.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has offered Senior High School students free tablets in the middle of this, but the public views this as needless because the government should first prioritise meeting fundamental necessities.
After this film, there is another one with the heading "Placement for sale," which exposed inconsistencies in the computerised placement system that was put in place to assign pupils to Senior High Schools based on merit.
According to the investigative documentary, protocol placement often takes up 10% of the slot. For their children to attend a category A or B school without the necessary qualifications, parents would pay up to 20,000 cedis.
In response to the documentary, the former head of the Ghana Education Service (GES) claimed that Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, minister of education, and himself should shoulder responsibility for the problems brought up.
In the meanwhile, 8 persons have been detained awaiting more investigations in response to requests for the punishment of criminals.
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