Ghana plays games with education – GNAT

General News of Monday, February 11, 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

2019-02-11

The president of the National Association of Teachers of Ghana (GNAT), Philippa Larson, criticized the Minister of Education's suggestion that the government consider providing diplomas to high school graduates.

"It seems that we are playing with our education in Ghana, which is very dangerous and serious. Teachers are at the center of education and development, but unfortunately we are neither engaged nor consulted when designing educational reforms. The lowest level of qualification is a degree in education for our services.

"There are a lot of things that come to play in terms of teaching and learning. Teaching does not necessarily mean having a master's degree, but being sufficiently equipped to do it. The consultations were not good. Most of the time we hear radio broadcasts and we are so surprised. It's very bad. Unfortunately, our Minister of Education knows everything. Whenever we mention our challenges, we are told that the minister is already aware, "she told Abban Monday morning, Starr.

In a speech delivered in Accra by the Minister of Education, the government plans to revalue the certificates issued to high school graduates in order to reduce the number of years spent in higher education.

"The program that will be released for lower secondary will lead to a higher national degree. When you finish high school, you get a national degree. It's not everyone who has to go to university, but we have to prepare our children for the world of work, "said Education Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh, known as the NAPO's name, at the 2019 Danquah Institute Leadership Conference ceremony on the theme: "World-clbad education, an imperative for the next generation of leaders," he noted.

However, a statement from the ministry said Monday that the minister was poorly represented in his previous remarks.

"The Minister spoke of the need to put in place a strong and solid structure for pre-college education and stressed that with such a system it was envisaged to reduce the current level of education to three years. undergraduate degree.

"Indeed, the Minister reminded that before the 1987 reforms that provided for the transition from system A to high school, an undergraduate degree lasted three years, which is similar to that of the University of Ghana. In particular, the first year was without a notation called First University Examinations (FUE).

"In his speech, the Minister sought to trigger a national dialogue that could return to this undergraduate model, based on a significantly improved and stronger graduate program, so that students can be prepared to adequately for a three-year undergraduate program. "