Ghana’s educational curriculum unable to match the changing world – Prof. Dodoo

The Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Prof. Alex Dodoo has observed that Ghana’s current educational curriculum is stacked in the past creating a huge skills gap which he says is contributing to the country’s graduate unemployment situation.

According to Prof. Dodoo, both the Traditional and Technical Universities in the country appear not to have a good appreciation of what the world of work looks like today.

He was speaking at the Ho Technical University Vice Chancellor’s Distinguish Lecture held in Ho, Wednesday on the theme: “Using Technical Universities to accelerate job creation under the framework of the Ghana National Quality Policy.”

He said, “…why is that every job must be in the office? There are some jobs that must be in an office but there are some which must not be in an office. If you’re a Programmer, do you need to sit in an office? Maybe no. I know young people like to party at night, sleep half the day but work a lot from 4 o’clock in the afternoon till about 2 am when they go partying; they’re doing their 10 hours and are very productive -I mean their reality and our reality are different.”

“The curriculum is not changing and we looking at the 4th and the 5th Industrial Revolution and let’s face it, Ghana is just about starting its 3rd Industrial Revolution we are catching up small small. But both the traditional Universities and Technical Universities do not appear to have a good appreciation of what the world of work looks like today; the kids we are producing, the graduates go into the job market and there is something missing because we haven’t been taught them,” he added.

To close this gap, Prof. Alex Dodoo said young people must be brought to the table in developing curriculums that meet their aspirations and the demands of today’s job market.

“So it is good we accept that there is a skills gap. Thank God CTVET and all of that are beginning to have a conversation on the skills gap. To develop a curriculum for the future we do not understand, for young people to work and work we are dead, they must be at the table because it is their future we are planning, it is their realities we are working towards.”

Prof. Dodoo believes a further missing link between Ghana’s educational curriculum and industry life skills such as self-confidence, goal-setting, and critical thinking which are not taught in most institutions.