Mr. Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Eduwatch Ghana, has raised concerns over the Education Minister's proposal to repaint public schools' colours from brown and yellow to blue and white, urging for a justification of the decision.

Drawing from his extensive experience working with schools in remote areas, Mr. Asare argued that the current brown and yellow colours could withstand the test of time for up to 10 years before requiring repainting. However, he expressed apprehension that the proposed blue and white colours would quickly attract dirt, necessitating more frequent maintenance.

Amidst Ghana's economic challenges, Mr. Asare questioned the rationale behind allocating resources for repainting all public basic schools nationwide. He voiced his concerns during an interview with an Accra-based television station.

Addressing the issue of changing public school uniforms, Mr. Asare highlighted the practical challenges faced by parents in ensuring their children have the new uniforms on time. He emphasized the importance of the government assessing its capacity to provide uniforms for all basic school children simultaneously.

Mr. Asare urged the government to empower schools by placing them on budget lines to enable them to address their specific needs and priorities. He stressed the importance of offering schools the right support at the right time, whether it be for maintenance of infrastructure or other critical needs.

“Eduwatch Ghana, formerly Africa Education Watch, is an education policy research and advocacy organization committed to promoting an equitable, accountable, and responsive education system,” Mr. Asare reiterated. The organization collaborates with civil society organizations, governments, and the private sector to ensure quality education and equal opportunities for all.