Society sometimes confuses memorization with learning and passing examination with success.Memorization or Passing Standardized Examinations does not guarantee quality education.
We should not pressurized children to memorize and excel in examinations.
Politicians should not forced teachers to pass through hell to ensure their candidates pass Standardized Tests.
The society should not deceive itself into believing that remarkable performance in a Standardized Tests such as the BECE and WASSCE shows quality tuition and quality education.
Education goes beyond all the above. The quality of Education of any nation can be seen in several facets of our national life. It shows itself in our economy, agriculture, industry, religion, development, and the general standard of living of the citizenry.
Quality education would even decide which people govern us. Are you not surprise governments do not give the needed resources and attentions to education. If they do, why should schools be under trees? Why should some schools be without teachers? Why should we have schools without computers or electricity and yet are expected to be Digitally Literate? Why should we have schools without the adequate number of texts books? Etc.
This should tell you that no politician sincerely wish to improve and provide quality education. What we have currently is well rehearsed gymnastics, sometimes unrehearsed, and daily noise making in our schools.
Why are the politicians educating their children in the top International Schools outside the country and yet keep on partying and praising themselves for providing quality education.
The high rate of graduate unemployment in the country currently should tell all of us that there is something wrong with our education.
If you want to destroy any nation, do not use atomic bomb or nuclear weapons just destroy their education system and you can get them.The problem with most of us is that we concentrate on our children passing examinations. So no wonder we will organise series of 'extra classes' just to make them memorize lots of meaningless facts and figures.
Teacher welfare and motivation have not been tabled in any discussion either in parliament or at Cabinet Meetings. The current situation is even worsening the plight of the Ghanian teacher. Government have absorbed all the fees and have cancelled any form of money collection in schools. Yet, government have not made any provision to pay these absorption. The meager allowances such as the Capitation Grants that schools used to carry out some of its activities are the same source that government is tasking schools to pay for some of these "absorption".
We should not in an attempt to win political points deny schools of the needed resources and yet come back and punish same schools for not improving education in the country.
The Ghanaian child deserves the best education. Governments should as a matter of urgency increase the Capitation Grants and provide all the needed resources to schools. However, if government cannot do it, then government should create employment avenues for parents and should allow parents carry out their parental responsibility of educating their children.
We cannot continue to pay lip service to the issues surrounding education. We, more than any other person know that increased enrollment is not synonymous with quality education. We cannot guarantee our future generation quality education if we continue handling our schools, children, teachers and the curriculum the way we have done it all these years.
Our educational system needs complete overhaul. We need a reform that would take care of the learner's need, the teacher's need, and a reform which will provide a direction for the future.
Ghana's education is on the verge of collapse. We need to rescue and give direction to our education policy.
Our educational should not be left in the hands of politicians who will just do something to impress the populace all with the aim of scoring political points.
By:
AminuWrites
(Educational Evangelist and Coach)
Contact: 0244299706
