24/07/2023
Change is the By-product of True Learning—Ghanaian Education System in Perspective.
Gilbert Boakye (DBE, B. Ed., MSc, M. Ed.)
September 8, 2022
The Ghanaian Education System has passed through many transitions from pre-colonial to post-independence and dates back to 1952. Over the centuries, the primacy of Ghanaian education had been to create an elite group to run the colony. It was modeled after the British system after independence in 1957 and has since undergone a series of reforms. For instance, the reforms in the 1980s detoured the education system from being purely academic to addressing the then-pressing needs of the nation for human resources (workforce). Before now, it was structured chronologically under three canopies as follows: six years of primary education, three years of secondary education, and four years of tertiary education. The first nine (9) years, which constitute basic education, are free and compulsory under the Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy implemented by former president John Agyekum Kuffour in 2000 in full fulfillment of the 1961 Act, (Act 87). This act aimed at achieving Free Universal Primary Education (FUBE). The policy is partially still in force in present times.
Currently, the Ghanaian education system comprises four (4) structures, 6 years of primary education, 3 years of junior high school, 3 years of senior high school and 4 years of university education. Students who complete senior high school are granted entry into the tertiary system of education upon a successful application. However, successful applicants are those deemed to have passed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as a prerequisite. In most cases, shortlisted applicants are interviewed and granted admission on merit.
As opposed to John Dewey et al.’s philosophies of education, the core curriculum used in Ghanaian public schools is work-oriented. Basic education is designed to expose learners to a wide variety of ideas and skills to prepare them for the future, and in 2019, the primary school curriculum was further reviewed to encompass other subjects including History. In senior high school, students are exposed to both core and elective subjects. The core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) are compulsory for all students regardless of their chosen field of study. It is only after successful completion of senior high school can a student be enrolled in any preferred tertiary institution upon application. By the dictates of the system, students are obliged to pass three of their core subjects including English and Mathematics in addition to passes in three of their elective subjects to be considered successful.
The tertiary education sector has also undergone various reforms since 1979. By 1979, Ghana had only universities with several research institutions and professional associations. The reforms aimed at ensuring efficiency, quality, access, equity, relevance, and sustainability. Presently, as advocated by Horace Mann, the ‘father’ of the Common School Movement in the United States, education is appreciably common in Ghana compared to the colonial era, as there are 13 Public Universities, 8 Technical Universities, 44 Colleges of Education and 81 Private Tertiary Institutions offering degree programs in Ghana.
Contrary to Dewey et al. philosophies and theories of education where Social Change and Reform are to be purported, the rationale behind Ghanaian education is to equip children with the requisite employable skills for attaining livelihood. It is by this that academic dishonesty is surging at an alarming rate. Because children are taught mainly to pass their exams to warrant their employment, giving little or no attention to the general makeup of the individual for social reconstruction.
In the past few years, the Ghanaian education system has been dwindling implacably since there is a seeming loss of focus by the political and educational leadership. The system is compromised and under-prioritized. There is a need for a national dialogue about the way forward for the good of the future generation.
I believe in a holistic approach to, or system of learning, where the system internationally builds and prepares the individual for leadership, public speaking, analytical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving. These variables for holistic learning promote social reformation and are viable if methods of assessing learners’ performance will be reviewed to strictly include a well supervised group and independent research, community projects, and presentations.
In conclusion, I am of the view that the Ghanaian education system which the World Bank described as one of the best some decades ago should be reincarnated to suffice the needs of today and tomorrow.
In my next newsletter, I shall share with you why the ‘motivation variable’ should not be missing in the equation involving Government and educators. Do not miss it.
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