Dr. Samuel Ziggah, an educationist, has expressed concern about the Ministry of Education’s new education reforms.
The educationist believes that the new system will hurt the country’s educational quality.
It has been revealed that kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, and DB senior high school are all classified as basic schools.
JHS 1, 2, 3, and SHS 1 will be known as BS 7, 8, 9, and 10, respectively. SHS will now be known as BS 10.
All students in JHS1- SHS 1 shall run a common core programme called CCP which comprises 9 subjects namely Maths, Languages, Science, RME, (STAND ALONE SUBJECT), Physical as Health Education (not available), Career Technology, Social, Studies, Computing and Creative Art and Design.
In response to these changes, Dr. Ziggah predicted that they would be insignificant.
He explained that under this administration, we saw a new curriculum, and for years, we could not distribute textbooks to schools.
He was concerned because we had consistently changed our educational system with no effect.
“Why are we rushing to change our system and implement a new curriculum? We changed the curriculum, and for three years there were no textbooks and teachers had no idea what to do. That hasn’t changed, and you’ve come out to tell us that you’re implementing new reforms.
This is not prudent and has an impact on educational quality.
The content in our teaching is what determines equity. We introduced the JHS system but what has changed? What can we show as the impact after we introduced the JHS system? Why are we doing this to ourselves?”
He was speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm.
He went on to say that the RME was unnecessary and pointless.
Although RME is a subject, he claims that we have morally corrupt people and politicians who insult others in the name of politics.
According to the Ministry, a new examination called National Standard Assessment Test (NSAT) shall be conducted at Primary 2,4,6 and JHS 2.
BECE shall be replaced by placement exams at JHS 3 to enrol students into SHS 1.
Students in SHS 1 shall continue to run the common core programme for one year.
Students into SHS 1 shall not select Science, Business or Arts Programmes.
At the end of SHS 1, students shall write Common Core Exams into SHS 2.
At SHS 2, students will now have to select either a career-related programme which includes vocational and technical programmes or high school Diploma programmes such as business, science and arts.
The elective subjects shall start at SHS 2, the reform noted.
WASSCE will be replaced by a university entrance exam at SHS 3.
Students after successful completion of SHS 3 will be rewarded with a Diploma certificate instead of a WASSCE certificate.
However, the educationist questions what will be standard for the various examinations that will be organised.
He wants to know if we will have a standard body to set the examination or if the teachers will be in charge.
What exactly is the placement exam? How should we proceed? Is there going to be a governing body in charge of the exam? How do we design the questions that will ensure that the students progress to SHS 1? What happens if they fail the test? What would be the result of the common core programme? Who will organise the exam for the common core programme? What is the value of our certificate in the sub-region if we no longer want WAEC to conduct or exam? What would people think of it outside of Ghana? How should we handle the situation if the certificate is not valued? We require clarification on the new system.
Dr. Ziggah told host Kwabena Agyapong that we should be concerned about whether the number of years spent running elective courses is sufficient to prepare our children for the job market. This does not bode well for me. If we want skills training, we must first define what we truly desire as a people.
He prefers that the government focus on improving the current system, motivating and compensating teachers so that they will give their all.
He added that teacher motivation was low in the country and that encouraging teachers was the best way forward.
“We need to pay teachers well and improve on the current system; the new reforms would amount to nothing.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
