Invest more in teacher development and welfare – Dr ibn Chambas implores government

Dr Mohamed ibn Chambas, a renowned Ghanaian Diplomat, has called for increased and sustained investments in the professional development and welfare of teachers to enhance quality education.

He impressed upon government and policymakers to ensure that teachers were well empowered, properly compensated and adequately motivated, underscoring their central role in the education system.

Dr Chambas was delivering a speech as the Guest Speaker at the second edition of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Public Lecture Series, held on the theme: “Empowering Minds: Rethinking Education for Sustainable Development.”

The annual lecture series bring together academia, policy makers, industry players, traditional authorities and the wider public to reflect on issues that matter to the country.

“We have built classrooms, now we must build capabilities. We have increased enrolment, now we must increase enlightenment. That is what education should be about.

“The future does not and will not reward nations that simply educate but will reward those that empower minds,” he stated. 

Dr Chambas stressed that the state must prioritise teacher quality while balancing that with curriculum which developed both technical and humanistic capability, financing mechanism that addressed regional inequalities, and innovation eco-systems, which connected education to economic opportunity.

“As Ghana rethinks education for sustainable development, the goal should not be to replicate other models from anywhere but to forge a uniquely Ghanaian part that builds educational system capable of combining these innovations with local realities,” he said.

Dr Chambas further advocated the use of technology to bridge the rural-urban gap to give children in remote areas the same access to digital resources as their counterparts in the urban areas.

He also urged private sector collaborations with schools in shaping the minds of the students to build a capable workforce and society.

“There is a need for private sector collaboration with schools in funding innovation hubs, offering apprenticeships, co-designing curricula and to ensure the skills being taught are the skills that the private sector and the economy actually need,” he said.

“Teachers and educators should remember that you are the architects of the Ghanaian mind.

“Educating a child means more than being a dispenser of facts. Move beyond the textbook to become facilitators of curiosity, leaders of thoughts and guidance of conscience,” he further stated.

Dr Chambas entreated society to look beyond university degrees and encourage their children to pursue vocations in robotics, woodwork, agriculture, painting, and other skills to make real contributions to the development of society.

“Parent are the ultimate primary beneficiary of an empowered mind and it is important they invest in the education of their wards, to supplement what government provides on their education.”

He urged students and young leaders to pursue their education and dreams relentlessly as the future of the country depended on them.

Source: GNA

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