Ghana’s education is sinking
Education is the process of teaching and learning and it is mainly done in our socialisation centres, such as schools and homes. In Ghana, if an individual is not educated, he or she may find it difficult to work.
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Consistently, when on a journey, one sees banners, posters and signboards advertising remedials for the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).
When my father’s generation sit and discuss education, I see disappointment in their faces about the falling standards.
I am not against the idea of rewriting examinations, but it encourages laziness and indifference on the part of students.
If at the age of 13, students have the option of rewriting their final examinations upon failing, there is no challenge to sit down to study.
Of course, some students are self-motivated and do not need the option to rewrite.
But how many of the self-motivated students do we have? It is shameful to complete junior high school and not get admission to a secondary school.
No one wants to be sighted at home with the burden of answering questions as to why he/she is still at home when schools are in session. Therefore, all JHS finalists struggle to gain admission to senior high school (SHS).
I have written Mathematics four times. If not for the system of education in Ghana, I should be married by now! I am worried about the future of non-achievers. A future of a people who do not value education enough to work hard at it.
I cannot blame the private schools in homes and questionable structures with non-professional teachers.
Those teachers are mostly senior high school graduates who have themselves failed and with no capacity to teach, yet they are training youngsters. There are many such schools in Ghana.
The Ministry of Education should take time out to monitor the mushrooming of such schools. Parents have a role to play too by giving students extra classes every week; teachers will keep the students on their toes.
At the university, I realised lecturers were using the same technique; the only difference was that students were spared the stroke of the whip.
By doing this, the falling standards can be curbed. I believe everyone deserves to have some basic education, but not everyone should be thrust into the higher education jungle.
This probably is one of the reasons why some students genuinely have to rewrite several times and never pass. The grass is not only green at school, there are greener ones elsewhere.
It is true that education is the key to success, but not all educated people succeed with education so parents should realise the potential of their children who are not academically good.
Let’s all work together to ensure that we do not have to witness a time when our children will have to resit even at the primary level.
Say no to resit
The writer is a member of staff of E.P.C Mawuko Girls SHS in Ho, V/R
