Towards an educational policy

Despite considerable regional variation, the national primary school gross enrollment ratio has continued to improve rising from 79.9 per cent in 2002 to 81.1 in 2003. Gross enrollment at the JSS level is however less impressive. Students are performing poorly in basic subjects at the JSS Basic Education Certificate Examinations. In 2003 as many as 40 per cent of all pupils failed this test in mathematics and in science. According to an international review of school performance, Ghana was second to last in world study on math and science involving 150 schools in 2003. The 2003 test results released on December 14, 2004 placed Ghana as one of the worst of several countries tested for Grade 8-level mathematics and science proficiency. The results indicate that Ghana eighth-graders are behind their peers across the globe in science and math.

Of the 45 countries ranked in the eighth-grade survey, Ghana was 44th in both mathematics and science - According to the A/DB/OECD 2005 report on Africa, unemployment is becoming a major problem in Ghana. The slow pace of past growth, coupled with an expanding labor force, has resulted in increasing unemployment from 10.4 per cent to 12.2 percent in 2003. This is partly due to the failure of our educational system to provide the middle and junior secondary schools with the requisite skills.

The objective of this article is to ask the Ministry of Education to consider raising

the bar for passing grade from 40% to 60% or (20% points) higher from original goal and to adopt some common sense measures to improve science and math education. I will also like to employ the indulgence of the experts to help brain storm to come out with some useful suggestions for our government to consider and implement.

In this article I argue that to improve math and science scores the Ghana Education Service must encourage in Ghana schools Take Home Tests and Group study (or co-operate) learning. (Apportion say 25% to each and reduce the emphasis on one final exam to say 50% instead of 75% or 100%). Decentralizing education to the regions may also be helpful

Rational

We learn by repetition. Encourage team work and corporate learning-something lacking in the Ghanaian psyche. Emphasize personal responsibility as key to success

You would notice that although homework and team work constitute 50% of grade, the absence of or lack of personal effort would result in failing a class (or grade). It is recognized that some students (may) have the tendency of copying or cheating from friends or (may) have the tendency of depending and relying solely on their ?smart? students in their team/study group. This is called academic fraud and corruption. However, looking or asking for the answers at the right place at the right time to complete assignments is called research and must be encouraged.

We learn by repetition and students learn best through research and hands-on activities not by memorization. By focusing on the research and homework factor students and schools with poor teachers or the lack thereof are less likely to be gravely affected.

The research or investigative learning would attest to the fact that students who know how to learn or are taught how to seek information would be more apt to think on their feet and climb further in their academic career.

While some schools may be blessed with great teachers and even examiners as well as other key educational resources like computers and text books some schools in the rural areas may have no qualified teachers or no teachers at all; neither computer nor text books. In this age and era of technology availability (relative to cost) our government or the Ministry of Education has no excuse to leave our rural or any of our schools (junior secondary schools) so handicapped. If a school would lack teachers (because of brain drain) fine; but what about text books and other basic resource like photocopy machine.

I would like to assume that teachers are paid by or through the Ministry of Education. So lack of teachers would mean the salary of the teacher position is saved. And what happens to such monies? An enquiring mind would like to know. So why can?t the authorities spend this money which would have been paid to teachers on educational resources for these schools to compensate for the loss? These monies should be used on a computer and a photocopy for these handicapped schools.

Computer and Photocopiers

It is essential that the Ministry of Education realize that computers and photocopiers are integral part of our children?s education today. Educational software abounds today at all and every level. So let the government or the Ministry of Education contract to buy these software and supply them to each school especially those without teachers. Fortunately all the districts of Ghana have access to electricity today. A $30 CD-Rom on science or math can feed thousands of students with the aid of a printer and a photocopier. When taken good care of if it may even feed generations of students. Most of these CD-ROMs are interactive. There are also audio-visuals like tapes and Television. This means with the aid of a projector many students who may not have had an instructor could make up with this rather than nothing at all.

Let us not waste the minds of our precious students. School principals or head teachers can have these practice test questions printed out and then printed out en mass for students consumption. Even where there are no qualified teachers substitute teachers may be employed. Substitute teachers could be adults with basic education and supervisory skills. Provide the substitutes with answers to go over with the students after completing the worksheets. In courses like Biology and reading subjects this could work very well. Or even better choose a day or two out of the week where a qualified (visiting) teacher may go over these worksheets with students to check their correction. With the aid of an overhead projector two to three or even more classes can be combined in the schools assembly hall for this revision. With modern gadgets like microphones it should not be difficult to reach a larger audience at the same time. Let us brain storm on simple and practical solutions to improve basic education among our students especially in Math and science.

Simple Educational Policy

1. Each and every school should have access to at least 3 Television sets (big screens preferred).

2. At least 2 computers, a printer, a photocopier, projector and a set of interactive CD-ROMS on math and science

3. Employ the services of university students in the lower grades (JSS and SSS) as teaching assistants on scholarship basis. This can be done by making sure the academic calendar of the higher institutions is different from the lower institutions. Rather than depending solely on the PeaceCor Ghana can also use the services and the intellect of the university students during their long summer vacations.

4. At the beginning of each academic year or term let students form study groups or teams of not more than 5 in a team. Let teachers so choose these teams to help form a balance team based on previous examination results where weaker students can be motivated by their peers.

5. The government must offer incentives (like tax holidays) to companies adopt failing schools.

6. The government and the Ministry of Education must establish and offer incentives to Ghana Diaspora professors and professionals to teach during the summer and from time to time as well as during their short vacations in Ghana. [I am not talking about lip service but a government policy backed by law. It could be as simple as tax exemption]. Give incentives to professors and professionals who would agree to teach courses at any of the schools. These professionals can provide our students with hands-on learning which would remain with our students throughout their lives even if it were just a day?s lecture. Let us move away from rote learning to practical experience.

7. The Ministry of Education must make syllabus available to all students and parents alike. It is only in our part of the world that syllabus is a secret document. For instance I have tried in vain over 6 months to see the syllabus Ghana schools use. This is a shame to WAEC and the Ministry of Education. How do you expect our students to pass when they do not know what is expected of them.

8. Ghana government and the Ministry of education must encourage Ghanaian professors to write text books for our students

9. Government (central) must champion or encourage every district to have a good library. In fact Ghana Parliament must pass a law to build a community library for every community with a population of 10,000 or more.

10. The Ghana Diaspora is ready and willing to help the government of Ghana and the Ministry of Education with textbooks, computers and other educational materials IF the government is willing to pay for shipping and handling. Our government must show responsibility here. Ghana government cannot always remain so cheap; it must be willing to invest in the future of its leaders.

11. Make Take Home Tests (or research projects) and Group study (or Team

Projects) constitute 25% each of grade and 50 % on private or individual assessments (final grade). Let Ghana stay away from basing promotion on only end of year exams.

[Visit your local bookstore or www.authorhouse.com and purchase a copy of my book Vocabulary Trail blazers For Christian YouthSeries: God?s Plan For Your Life for yourself, yourchildren and friends. Also coming soon to your bookstore is A New Agenda For Ghana?] Thanks.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.