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The Education Ministry has refuted reports on social media alleging that the Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has awarded a $350 million contract for the supply of the newly approved school uniform for public junior high school students to his relative.

According to the Ministry of Education, all the reports are false and without merit, adding that those erroneous claims are aimed at creating a public disaffection for the Education Minister.

The said media reports claimed that one Ebenezer Opoku Prempeh a supposed relative of the Education Minister is the beneficiary of the said contracts, but the Ministry of Education in a statement signed by the Deputy Communications Director, Mr. Kwasi Obeng-Fosu disclosed explained that the Minister has no relative bearing that name.

“The attention of the Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has been drawn to a news item circulating on social media, claiming that a relative of his, has been awarded a $350 million contract to supply the new school uniforms for Junior High School students launched by the Ghana Education Service earlier today.”

“The Minister wishes to state emphatically, for the avoidance of doubt, that the story is false, without merit and the figment of someone’s imagination, designed to cause disaffection towards him. Indeed, it will be noted that at various points in the story, the so-called relative, said to be Ebenezer Opoku Prempeh, is variously referred to as his brother, son and nephew. The Minister wishes to emphasize that he has no relative by that name,” the statement read

The statement also urged the public to disregard all of such false claims and “treat it with the contempt it deserves”.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) yesterday [Thursday 11th April 2019] announced the introduction of a new school uniform for Junior High School (JHS) students.

Students are expected to start wearing the new school uniform from next academic year, September 2019.

The Director-General of the GES, Prof Kwasi Opoku Amankwa announced this at a press conference in Accra.

Other reforms have seen the GES revise curriculum for primary and pre-schools in the country.

The new curriculum will be from kindergarten to primary six.

New uniform shows GES is paying attention to students- Annis Hafar

An educationist, Annis Hafar had backed a decision by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to introduce a new school uniform.

According to him, the introduction of the uniform shows that GES is paying attention to JHS students thus giving students a sense of importance.

The educationist, who is also a member of the GES Council, said there is nothing wrong with the introduction of the new uniform saying it will only add up to the number of uniforms they have already thus promoting hygiene.

“Bringing in something new never hurts, we live in a very dynamic world, we don’t want things to be so static. We want the children to see that it is a new day, there are new expectations and there is nothing wrong with changing uniform as long as there is enough for them to wear. The psychology is important in the sense that they would feel we are paying attention to them[Junior High School (JHS) students]. Being hygienic is part of a school system that supports the psychology of student, ” he said.