News
NAGRAT backs decision to allow SHS, JHS students to write WAEC exams
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has backed government’s decision to allow final year Senior and Junior High School (SHS/JHS) students to write this year’s West Africa Examination Certificate (WAEC) examinations.
According to Eric Angel Carbonu, President of NAGRAT, the students had already completed the syllabus and have been adequately prepared for the examinations before the schools were forced to close down in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“The short stay at home will not be a problem because the students were in the revision stage, preparing for the examinations. They had already completed the syllabus and were just in line to write their papers when the diseases struck the country. I agree that they write the examination rather than progress them with the Continuous Assessment which is fraught with challenges,” he stated.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times yesterday in Accra, he, however, expressed concern about the decision to re-open schools this month although Ghana’s COVID-19 positive cases continue to rise.
He said re-opening of schools should have been delayed until September or October in order not to risk the lives of students and teachers.
“I agree that the re-opening of schools should have been pushed back to September or October, so that by then we would have had ample time to know how we will go about the situation to protect our students and teachers. We must place the lives of the students and teachers and anybody for that matter above any certificate,” he stated.
Although the delay would have thrown the academic calendar off-gear, Mr Carbonu explained that, the disease has impacted negatively on all sectors, including education, and destabilised economies across the globe, and Ghana could not be an exception.
“Until a definite global response to COVID-19 was found, the NAGRAT President said, life would not return to normal as before, stating that “we must prioritise the lives of our people until then,” he said.
Currently, he said, there was growing mixed feelings among parents as to whether or not schools should be re-opened when Ghana’s recorded cases continue to rise with no cure or vaccine for treatment.
He noted that there was uncertainty among students and teachers on how the schools’ environment would be ideal to curtail spread of the disease.
Mr Carbonu said mass testing for students and teachers, which has been proposed, was not the ideal solution as stated by some health experts, adding that “the associated costs and it being less of a prevention mechanism is why government has not taken that path.”
He urged the Ministry of Education to allow parents and their wards decide on whether or not to return to school, because most of them were through with their preparations for the examinations.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 10th address to the nation on measures put in place to check the spread of COVID-19 in the country announced the reopening of schools, but for only final year students of Junior High School, Senior High School and tertiary institutions.
According to him, beginning June 15, final year students are to resume school starting with university students.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
