Scrap Aptitude Tests and Promote Staff Automatically

SCRAP APTITUDE TESTS AND PROMOTE STAFF AUTOMATICALLY, GES ADVISED.

Almost every school has a head and a Circuit Supervisor. The Heads are not only charged with administrative duties but also monitoring and evaluation of teachers every day within the academic year. These reports is contained in the Annual Performance Appraisal Form, which is easily accessible in the school.

Circuit Supervisors now Circuit Supporters go round schools to ascertain what is contained in the Log books, Appraisal Form, Managerial Tools, etc. They also take time to scrutinize the Lesson Plans and the Teachers Output of Work. They sometimes give advise and counsel teachers.  In some situations, rare of cause, meet out punitive sanctions or report recalcitrant teachers to the education directorate for the necessary action.

In addition to this, a team from the office also visit schools at least once every term for a Comprehensive Inspection to verify all the data provided by the head or Circuit Supervisor.
All these serves as a check on the teacher. These checks and balances are done every term throughout the academic year.

One sad thing about this is the fact that even teachers who are found to have excel during such visits are not promoted whatsoever.

A teacher is only promoted after he or she has successfully completed four complete years of teaching after the last promotion. This promotion is not even automatic. The teacher has to pass through series of interviews, work inspections and now aptitude test before being promoted.

How can you use half an  hour or even an hour to pass a teacher after complete years of hardwork? We all know the existence of interview fever, examination fever, etc, but why do we keep on using it on our professionals.

I recently met a trained teacher with over 30 years experience, but living comfortably, with a rank below Senior Superintendent II.

I know you will be surprise just like I was. He said he could not progress because he does not have the courage to stand before a promotion interview again after two attempts which all proved futile.
But, should we blame him? No. I don't think so. Some of the questions one is subjected to at the

Promotional Interview, sometimes need not to be asked at all. The success or failure of a teacher in class has nothing to do with his religion, gender, ethnic group, marital status, number of children, the Supreme Court, the Woyome Case, Menzgold, etc.

Some may argue, a teacher should know everything. Please, I beg to differ.
Subjecting teachers to this Annual Rituals of 30minutes Interview, but now Aptitude Test is not creating and motivating selflessness, innovation, creativity and dedication among teachers,  if anything it is doing the opposite. This I believe is the reasons for the lackadaisical attitudes among most teachers towards work.

Teachers should not be promoted after every four years. Neither should we promote teachers based on passing "some" cumbersome Aptitude Test or Promotional Interview.
Teachers should be promoted throughout the year.

The Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education should, if they really want to make the Headteacher, Circuit Supervisor, Work output be relevant, then nothing should stop them from cancelling Promotional Interview and Aptitude Tests for promotion.

Remarkable performance and Improvement should be rewarded to serve as a motivation for others and young teachers.

There are many teachers across the country doing great and wonderful things which needs recommendations and promotion. But, sadly,  such teachers rarely pass the Promotion Interview.

Sometimes, very effective and efficient teachers and other personnel of the service fail at promotional Interviews, not because they don't read or are lazy, but because the workload has made them Stressful. So sometimes, remembering the Code of Ethics, National Issues, etc is sometimes very difficult.

We cannot continue to deny our professionals the benefits of hard work and dedication. There are teachers who cross water bodies before going to school. To some of them it is part of their daily life. I know teachers with a very high population, and they teach these kids alone. There are some who teach in a multi - grade classrooms.

It is now time,  for our policy makers to sit down and design appropriate Promotion Schemes and scrap out this archaic and barbaric Promotional Interview and Aptitude Test.

By AminuWrites,
(Educational Evangelist and Coach)
Contact: 233244299706

5 Things Every Coach Should Avoid During PLC Session

5 Things Every Coach Should Avoid During PLC.
Professional Learning Community Sessions are an integral part of the Standard Based Curriculum for Ghanaian Schools.
However, there are 5 Things, there could be more, practices that every Coach should avoid during PLC Sessions.

1. Know it all attitude.
Nobody is the sole reservoir of knowledge. We all have some idea about topic. Some may be right or wrong. But, we need to be given a chance. This will make every body to be ease and contribute to discussions on the floor.
Coaches should provide the opportunity for all participants to express their views and opinions on all issues. Wrong or Unknown answers should be handled professional to avoid ridiculing the contributor.

2. Ask Closed Ended Questions
Closed Ended Questions are questions which do not encourage others to contribute during PLC Sessions. These questions have obvious answers. However, Coaches should ask Open Ended Questions during PLC Sessions to make all participants active.

3. Choose topics that interest them.
Most Coaches would like to choose topics which interest them, so that they can deliver without any difficulty.  However, such topics may not interest the participants.  Coaches should allow all participants to identify difficult topics or concepts, so that such topics may be discussed during PLC Sessions.  This will encourage all participants to be active.

4. Always take lead during PLC Sessions
Coaches should not always lead discussions in a PLC Sessions.  They should allow other participants to take the lead and bring out their ideas. This will allow all others to contribute and participate in the session. Sometimes,  other participants may do the simulation and demonstration lessons.

5. Lead a PLC Session without preparation and planning
Most Coaches believe a PLC Session is another Staff Meeting. No. PLC Sessions are beyond Staff Meetings.  The Coach, Resource Person and others who may play some roles at PLC Session should prepare adequately before the start of the session. They should gather all information and resources before the session commences.

5 Things Every Coach Should Do During PLC Session

Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a meeting of Professional Facilitators and other educators to share and help one another, to improve teaching and learning and professionalism.
According to the Ghana Education Service, PLC should be organised once a week, preferably Wednesday, an hour before the closing time.

1. Take Records
There should be records of meeting of every PLC Session every week. This record should be kept by the Coach, CEO and the the school. The records should contain Attendance, and summary of all the issues discussed.

2. Encourage Active Participation
Most Facilitators would not talk at PLC Sessions based on the following reasons:
1. Fear of making mistakes in grammar or content.
2. Insecurity or the fear of been attack or victimized after a suggestion
3. Topics that Do not affect them directly.

It is the duty of the Coach and the CEO to solve the above problems and more to make PLC Sessions participatory.

3. Encourage participants to give Suggestions.
PLC Coaches should provide the needed environment for Facilitators to make contributions and recommendations. During every sessions, the Coach should review progress made after the last PLC Sessions. The recommendations and contributions made should be implemented to make it easy for facilitators to make more contributions. They can do this with CEOs to monitor the progress made.


4. Time Concious
PLC Sessions should not unduly delay or seem to be a time wasting exercise. Time should be given a priority during PLC Sessions.  This will motivate the facilitators like PLC Sessions.

5. Facilitators Directed Discussions
PLC Coaches should make sure they provide opportunity for facilitators to bring out what affects them directly during their teaching and learning.  Coaches may also select topics in collaboration with the Facilitators to discuss.