Headteachers in the Bosomtwe District have made a passionate appeal to government and education authorities to extend the school feeding programme to Junior High School (JHS) students, arguing that its current exclusion contributes to dropout rates at the basic level.
The call was made during the 2025 District Conference of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS), held at the Wisconsin International University College campus in Feyiase on Friday, June 27. The conference, attended by education stakeholders, local authorities, traditional leaders and teacher unions, centred around the theme: “Transforming Basic Education in Ghana: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Mr Kingsley Asare, the Ashanti Regional COHBS Secretary delivering the keynote address, emphasised the vital role of headteachers in curriculum delivery and school management. He highlighted numerous challenges confronting headteachers, including the lack of administrative support, unpaid responsibility allowances, and inadequate infrastructure.
“Headteachers play the role of manager, accountant, secretary, and sometimes even teacher. We need to be seen as partners in management, not just implementers,” Mr Asare said.
Mr Asare urged education authorities to view headteachers as frontline leaders in the education system and called for stronger collaboration between supervisors and headteachers to resolve school-level challenges. He also called for prompt payment of responsibility allowances and transparency in the disbursement of capitation grants.
The District Director of Education, Mr Daniel Okoto Ansah, praised Feyiase chiefs and elders for their contributions to education in the district, including infrastructure support and the provision of clean water. He advised headteachers to demonstrate professionalism and humility and to involve traditional leaders, assembly members, and school management committees in decision-making.
District Chief Executive, Hon. Engineer Abdallah Hamidu, encouraged headteachers to maintain neutrality in politics and apply their professional knowledge and leadership training to uplift their schools. He said Headteachers must “manage their schools as if they were their own” and called on them to reform school culture for better student outcomes.
Nana Addae Gyamera, Otumfuo Bremponhene of Feyiase and chairman of the event, urged headteachers to take community school dynamics seriously and use time wisely to improve performance. He applauded the efforts of COHBS in unifying headteachers under a common platform and encouraged collaboration and peer support among school leaders.
The event featured a colourful cultural display by students, showcasing the richness of Ashanti heritage. A new set of district COHBS executives was elected to steer the affairs of the association for the next term.
The newly elected chairman, Justice Abuchow, on behalf of the new leadership, thanked delegates for their trust and pledged to work hard to uplift the image of Bosomtwe District COHBS.
Newly Elected Executive for Bosomtwe District COHBS
Chairman: Justice Abuchow
Vice Chairman: Eric Akomani-Mensah
Secretary: Paul Kankam Boadu
Assistant Secretary: Rose Connah
Treasurer: Catherine Mensah Gorman
Financial Secretary: Alice Ankomah
Public Relations Officer: James Yeboah
Representatives from the teacher unions GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG (formerly CCT-GH) were also present and delivered goodwill messages in support of COHBS’ efforts to champion quality basic education in the country.
Mr. Augustine Sarkodie, Headteacher of Homabenase R/C Basic, in a post-conference interview stated with heartfelt conviction, “We are Managers, not Messengers,”. He advocated for increased recognition of the strategic leadership roles played by basic school headteachers and urged the Ghana Education Service to provide the professional respect, support, and resources necessary to enable Headteachers to perform effectively.
Keep following www.gheducate.com for credible news and updates.
