Dr. Clement Abasinaab Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament's Education Committee, has criticized the Ministry of Education's decision to rebrand public basic schools, labelling it as a misplaced priority.
The criticism comes after the Sector Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, announced plans to repaint public basic schools and change pupils' uniforms to blue and white colours during a forum in Accra titled “The Free SHS story.”
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, Dr. Apaak urged the Minister to refrain from rebranding the schools, arguing that the chosen colours, blue and white, are associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and should not be adopted universally.
Dr. Apaak, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for the Builsa South Constituency, criticized the decision to allocate resources to repainting schools and introducing new uniforms, citing more pressing issues within the education sector.
He highlighted challenges such as the delay in textbook supplies, arrears in capitation grants equivalent to eight terms, and infrastructural deficits including poor toilet facilities and inadequate furniture for both teachers and students.
Dr. Apaak emphasized that addressing these challenges should take precedence over cosmetic changes to school aesthetics. He accused the Ministry of Education of potential cronyism, suggesting that the rebranding initiative could serve as a conduit for awarding contracts to associates and party members.
Calling on Ghanaians to resist what he termed a “needless initiative,” Dr. Apaak urged the Ministry to allocate funds towards addressing the significant challenges outlined by public school administrators.
