Most Reverend Francis A.K. Lodonu, Catholic Bishop of Ho, Monday expressed worry about the trend by policy makers and governments to make "qualitative education subordinate to quantitative education."
He made the remark when he commissioned a six-unit classroom block for the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School at Batume-Junction, a border community near Ziope in the Agotime-Ziope District.
Bishop Lodonu said, "It is one thing to achieve 100 per cent access and another to provide quality."
"Unfortunately the quantitative aspect of education rather than the qualitative aspect has become the main focus of attention in recent years for policy makers and governments," he stated.
The GHC 168,932.00 complex was put up with support from Manos Unidas of Spain.
It has an office, store, computer laboratory, staff common room and furnished with 90 dual desks.
Bishop Lodonu said if children attend school without achieving the "learning objectives" of numeracy, reading and essential life skills, then access was not meaningful.
He said the poor quality of "pupil learning reflects the poor quality of teaching," which he attributed partly to lack of supervision and feedback on teachers instructional practices.
Bishop Lodonu said it was bad that school heads and teachers were left to do "their own thing".
"They attend school and teach as and when they like. Lateness and absenteeism are thus very rampant in the schools and teacher-pupil contact hours are consequently very low," Mr Lodonu lamented.
Bishop Lodonu called for “real commitment” from politicians and other stakeholders and challenged politicians to tell Ghanaians where their children are schooling.
Mr Michael Kobla Adzaho, Agotime-Ziope District Chief Executive commended the Catholic Church for supplementing governments in the provision of educational services.
Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Member of Parliament for the area urged parents to invest in the education of their children.
Mr Gershon Adzimah, District Director of Education described the six-unit classroom block as the best in the district.