AN OBITUARY OF THE GHANA EDUCATION SYSTEM
In loving memory of Ghana Education System, I bring you warm greetings from my reflection corner. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I invite you to join me observe A MINUTE SILENCE FOR OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM…………… MAY ITS SOUL REVIVE IN TIME, AMEEN?
By the time you finish reading this piece, it is my hope that we will all be thinking of how we can get out of this deep ditch and also pray for the bewildering generation. Indeed, the mantra that began so cheerfully at the onset of this era turns out to be really an obituary of our education system – no longer the key to success but a poison to our social fabric.
Claud Witz argues that the most effective way in bringing down an entire generation without using a gun is by attacking its center of gravity. This centers of gravity that would shape in orchestrating a country’s downfall from within are its perception of truth, its future generations, the political philosophy, and its sense of nationalism and of course, the economy.
To achieve this, the aggressor must vigorously pursue the following;
* Shape truth by controlling the media, shape the future generations by controlling the schools.
* Shape the political philosophy by infiltrating the government, shape the sense of nationalism by diluting the culture and the language and
* Shape the economy through excessive spending, taxing and borrowing.
I will leave the others for another day but concentrate on the element of shaping the future generation by controlling the schools. I will demonstrate how our education system is being strangled in the George Floyd like fashion to suffocate to demise.
Never in our history has the teacher become so feeble to extent of not even having control of what he delivers for learning. The teacher and for that matter, heads of schools have now become poodles and subjects of political ball games. The teacher that used to be a major stakeholder has now become the stake and now being held, from STAKEHOLDER TO HELDSTAKE.
My decision to join the profession that will make me remain poor and never think of becoming millionaire doesn’t mean I have surrendered my brain to be poor in thinking.
I choose to use my intelligence and dignity as the “SOMETHING ELSE” contained in the President’s “Executive Instrument” which cemented the “CURSE” of teachers never to be “Millionaires” unless one engage in something else. This joke called a contract is something nobody has seen the head teacher as important to even discuss it with.
Because our liberty has been so colonized are we too dumb to be informed of the terms of the contract. How come we are going into a contract where as a party we have no rights but only responsibilities and obligations?
Why is the Head teacher being treated as a target of our broken policies?
Schools without textbooks, under trees and with children always lying on the floor to learn.
I will further demonstrate why I think we are engaging in comedy of errors in our education system and poisoning our future generation, hence the need for this obituary.
1. New curriculum fiasco. We live in a country where a new curriculum was introduced for two years now without textbooks for our public schools whilst private schools are able to get them for children. We only priories overstocking our schools with tissues and liquid soap when we know very well most of these schools do not even have drinking water, less water for hand washing
. Ironically, Junior High School teachers who are yet to be trained on the new curriculum like the primary counterparts are expected to implement the curriculum. Our schools are totally depleted of furniture and textbooks. The alternative is that government prefers supplying past examination questions. Only God knows whether we are interested in positive behavioral change as learning outcome or examination results.
2. Despite the priority of government on exams, it is painful to note that the power of internal assessment as an important element of teaching and learning has been taken away. For two years now pupils have not been writing exams in public schools.
3. Non-payment of capitation grants. The meager capitation grants which are supposed to be paid to schools hardly comes.
This amount is unable to pay for compelling administrative expenses. Cost of transportation of PPEs alone since 2020 has taken more than enough amount. All at the expense of the head teacher’s meager accounts. There are several expenses that are shouldered by these vulnerable head teachers.
4. Unpredictable calendar. We now live in a system where at the behest of some powers that be, academic calendar can be altered and vacation declared, mostly in the case of SHS. Junior High Schools now have the longest stay in schools. This comes with its attendant fatigue.
Schools are now in session from July to December.
I bet you, by October everybody will be tired and learning will be very ineffective. I dare say that whoever that brought this semester idea in the JHS system has cause a bit harm than good.
5. Nonpayment of responsibility allowance. The head teacher is always at the receiving end and yet nobody cares about his welfare. Several heads of schools have been in that position for years without responsibility allowance and yet they are expected to do the extra-ordinary.
6. The gross disrespect for teacher’s right is something that is chocking many of us. Can you imagine that government is going to procure laptops for teachers and we have no choice of the brand and type? I have been able to buy an HP Laptop 15.6’’ core i5 for use. It would have been proper that the powers that be allows teachers to make their choices on specification just as in the case of car loans for parliamentarians.
7. Above all, the seeming politicization of our education system is our bane. Directors and senior officers who are supposed to ensure smooth delivery of education outcomes are not immune from this political machinations. We have carried it through from the basic and climax it at the SHS. The Free SHS and its attendant challenges caused by this dirty politics is stinking. Many Headmasters are suffering and dying in silence. They are unable to feed the students but they can’t complain. Heads cannot have peace of mind due to persistent calls from suppliers.
All these teething challenges among others are often overlooked, the poor teacher is the target because we have nobody to speak for us. Our unions have suddenly become organs under GES and cannot fight for us. They understand and care for the economy of Ghana than its managers. They can proudly settle for 4% salary increment while others can go for 70%+. After all, there is nowhere in the world teachers become millionaires.
OFORI AMOS ADDAI
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