Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi was born on the 21 August 1945 at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region. He is currently the Minister for Education who has been providing support for novel reforms in the educational sector. Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi is a well-respected academician with long standing involvement in an evolutionary educational process.

He attended the Adisadel College in Cape-Coast for his GCE O' and A' Levels before entering the University of Ghana in 1965 obtaining a B.Sc. Hons in Zoology in 1969. He pursued his Masters in Zoology at the same University and completed the course in a year in 1970. He left the shores of Ghana for the United States specifically the University of Michigan in 1972 where he spent four years studying for MS in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Zoology.

His contributions to the educational sector are well manifest not only in his present position as Minister for Education but also in his days as a lecturer at the University of Cape-Coast. He has participated in a number of activities related to Higher Education in Ghana.

He co-coordinated the introduction of the Semester and Course Unit System at the University of Cape-Coast as well as the production of academic programmes for the University College of Education, Winneba in the Central Region. He chaired various committees at the University and acted as Vice-Chancellor in the absence of the substantive Vice-Chancellor during his tenure as the Pro Vice-Chancellor.

One significant activity he undertook in relation to Higher Education when he served as the Chairman of the Committee to Review Staffing in the Polytechnics.

He presented a lead paper on Decentralisation at the University at a Seminar for University Administration under the auspices of the Tertiary Education Project.

Also presented appear on University Financing at a workshop on Tertiary Education Financing in Akosombo in 1966.

He has attended many conferences in and out and outside Ghana where he presented papers on Science Education. He has to his credit twenty-six publications on various topics in Biology.

Awards obtained include the following: The University of Ghana, Scholar, 1969-1970, AFGRAD Scholar, University of Michigan 1972-1977 Senior Research Fellow, Common wealth Academic Staff Fellowship at University College of North Wales Bengor1984-1985 and Fullbright Scholar- Marine Research Laboratory Bodega Bay University Of California.

He is currently a member of several professional bodies, including, the Ghana Science Association, West African Science Association, and Crustacean Society. A past member of the New York Academy of Sciences as well as the International Association Of Astocologists and American Society of Zoologist. He is currently the Vice President of Ghana Institute of Biology.

On national level, he served as a member on the National Committee on Fisheries, Ghana National Oceanographic Committee, University Rationalisation Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of New Times Corporation.

He is the current Chairman of Natural Science Committee of the National Commission on UNESCO and he served as the Vice Chairman for Commission III at the 28th UNESCO Conference held in Paris, France in 1995. He participated in the National Economic Forum in 1997 and served as a member of the Post Forum Committee set up to prepare a final document on the forum. He has also served as Chairman of the Sunyani Polytechnics Council.

Until his appointment as the Minister Of Education he was the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service. He was the Dean at the Faculty of Science, University of Cape Coast and Policy Adviser to the Ministry of Education. In his first two years as Director -General, he and his team succeeded in getting newly recruited teachers to be paid their allowances the first month they reported for duty .The teacher Education has been reorganised to place emphasis on attachment programmes.

He plans in future to lead a reformation of the Ghana Education Service in areas of resource management and motivation for the teacher, which will contribute, to the overall improvement in education delivery in the country.

An approved restructuring of the Ghana Education Service is to be implemented this year. The new structure seeks to recruit professionals to head Financial Management, Human Resources and Procurement Divisions of the Ghana Education Service.

Moved from the Minister for Education in April 2003. He is married with several children.

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