Chair reads a question sent to him from a private citizen who wants to know if the NPP would restore the distance learning program on TV which helped students from less endowed schools to get lessons on TV.

Chairman banters with Minority leader for his reference to a 'puported' statement attributed to Bawumia where he pledged to build 600 new schools. Chairman explains that Bawumia did not make this promise. He said the NDC could have built 600 more schools.

Haruna Iddrisu: Bawumia promised that the NPP will build 600 new schools. Will the NPP implement it promise?

Napo: I didn't see the 600 in the NPP manifesto.

Haruna Iddrisu: wants an answer to the challenges faced by the School Feeding Program following complaints of politicisation, delays in payment, food quality.

Napo: It used to be under Education and now it is under Gender and Social Protection ministry. We don't need to treat school feeding as a political game. It is an essential tool for student retention programs. He will expand it.

Minority leader: How will nominee tackle exams leakages

Napo: We have to start thinking out of the box. We should start thinking about why we should always subject ourselves to WAEC. There can be rival examination-administeration bodies.

Minority Chief Whip Muntaka: What will you do to reduce or eliminate exams leakages?

Napo: The pressure to pass exams appears to be more important than learning which explains the motivation to cheat.

Minority Chief Whip wants to know the nominee's position on forcing Muslims to participate in morning devotions in schools. 'Muslim community is extremely worried' about this practice.

Napo: Religious intolerance should not be condoned in this country. My constituency secretary and organiser are muslims. They follow me to church to campaign. Muslims must not be forced to take part in morning devotions.

Chair is worried about manners children are being introudced to in schools.

Napo is asked if he will introduce a popular book on manners in schools - 'Courtesy for boys and girls'. He says books like this can be recommended as additional readings.

An MP from an island tells stories about a farmer whose wife was 'taken' by a landlord as a background to some question. But chair overrules the question; wants it expunged from the record.

Okudzeto Ablakwa: NPP manifesto in page 105 wants to restore physical education and re-introduce History in Primary Schools. Page 112, also plans to abolish payment of utility bills by students in tertiary students. Can you tell this committee if you agree with these statements in the manifesto.

Napo: Yes there should be PE teachers attached to schools. Some schools do not have it so the NPP would restore it. He believes the word 'restore' reflects the reality. We are going to re-introduce history of Ghana.

MP reminds him there is history in social studies.

Nominee: Social studies is not History. But refrains from stating if government plans to introduce a new subject.

OA: Statements in NPP manifesto are factually inaccurate. PE, utilities have not been abolished. He introduces a timetable from Osu JHS which has a session for PE.

Napo stands by statements in NPP manifesto.

OA: Will NPP restore quota system for training colleges that comes with the payment of allowances for teacher trainees.

Napo: Our commitment in the NPP manifesto is to restore allowances not quotas.

MP wants to push further but he is stopped by chair who believes the question has been answered. ' Mr. Chairman this is unbelievable', Okudzeto complains.

MP: What is the linkage between technical universities and the NPP promise to industrialise the economy?

Napo: We need to set up a collaboration with vocational,technical aprentices to still take advantage of formal education training so they can be better suited to make a living.

MP: On page 112 of NPP manifesto, there is a promise to restore teacher trainee allowances fully - a politically charged subject. Does that extend to teacher trainees in tertiary schools.

Napo: Those who were getting the allowances before it was scrapped, will get the allowances restored.

MP: Revisits Free SHS promise vis-a-vis Article 25. I just want to know how many SHS do you think should be added to satisfy availability of schools. How many will NPP build?

Napo: We don't have a magic number because availability is a right. We try and provide facilities as government gets money.

MP wants to know about the language policy in Ghana's schools. He refers to the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel - multiple languages defeat the objectives of development. Instruction delivery in single language in the formative years of education is the best. Seeks nominee's views.

Napo: The confusion about Tower of Babel was not because of many languages but because they could not hear each other. I don't want to think about the effects of using one local language for schools. We train citizens to be globally competitive. English,a colonial heritage is an advantage for global relevance. We have to train our children to think and write in English. 'I don't think it makes us less human'. Culture,history and tradition could be lost if one local language is used in instruction children in schools. ' I can't think far' on that issue, he says and recommends wider discussion.

MA: Refers to Article 25 clause 1(c) higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular, by progressive introduction of free education;

Pursuant to this constitutional committment, what plans does the nominee have to progressively introduce free education to the tertiary level using GETFUND

NAPO: We have to consolidate the base before we move on. President Mahama once said Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) which is also in the constitution should be implemented first before free SHS. He says it is a 'brilliant' suggestion. So the nominee would consolidate gains in making education at the primary level free and then move on. Fortunately, the constitution does not place a timeline of the implementation of Article 25.

Mahama Ayariga: What plans does he have to extend ICT infrastructure to schools

NAPO: If I am confirmed I will collaborate with agencies concerned to 'get every school connected' to recieve free wifi.

Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu: What will you do for the teacher and when?

Nominee: They have a litany of problems that we have to address - validation process for teachers. Teachers believes that it has taken too long. 70,000 teachers validation process is in limbo.

Barbara Ayisi: How does nominee intend to implement plans to pay teachers promptly and treat them with respect.

NAPO:  'The elephant in the room is financial clearance'. If this is done quickly, teachers should not suffer to receive their salaries.

Barbara Ayisi: Students did extremely well under 4-year system of SHS introduced by the previous NPP. Does nominee think the policy should be revisited?

Napo: His Excellency must take a decision based on expert advice. A reversal is not an NPP promise but if the president wants to change the existing policy, he would be ready to implement.

Follow-up by Chair: Should educational policies be left in the hands of politicians?

Napo: 'Our lives are left in the hands of politicians'

 

Suhuyini: Apologies for his fracas with the chair over perceived unfair treatment and proceeds to ash: what are his plans to abolish payment of utility tarriffs by students?

Napo: If the House confirms him, he can be firm about his plans to fulfil NPPs plans.

MP Manhyia South MP Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) is answering questions about his CV.

Okudzeto Ablakwa wants to know why nominee has not provided references on his CV. Nominee explains there are different types of references - professional, political, academic. He would furnish the committee if a specific request is made. He is asked to provide references to attest to his integrity.

Questions on CV is over.

 

 

Background

The Appointment Committee of Parliament is set to scrutinise three of President Akufo-Addo's nominees for ministerial positions.

Minister-designate for Agriculture Dr. Osei Afriyie Akoto, Education minister-designate Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Health minister-designate Kwaku  Agyemang Manu  are expected to take their turn inside the halls of Parliament.

Dr. Osei Afriyie Akoto's nomination has irked anti-GMO elements who have suggested that the nominee could be used to push special interest from powerful GMO corporations. The Kwadaso MP has been friends with the President since childhood.

 

Matthew Opoku Prempeh, described by Akufo-Addo as a very independent-minded person is expected to face questions on a key promise by the NPP government to introduce free Senior High School.

A former Minority spokesman on health in parliament, the medical doctor's posting to Education ministry surprised many who believed his background as doctor should have earned him a place at the Health ministry.

But justifying his choice, Akufo-Addo said at his presentation, 'people would have thought that as a doctor he should go to Health. But that is not my view'.

 

Dormaa Central MP Kwaku  Agyemang Manu and an accountant by profession