Government Officials and new educational reforms

FOR THE purpose of this article, I define the term “Government officials” to include the President of the Republic as the ultimate source of decision-making, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service.

It is an undisputable fact that what works well on paper could run into difficulties on implementation. The new educational reforms introduced last week will not prove an exception.

Though there could be criticism for partisan political reasons, Government should not dismiss every criticism as baseless. The experience gained in the implementation of the 1987 reforms should provide a useful guide.

Back in 1987, the educational reforms introduced by the PNDC regime looked very good on paper.

It was thought, then that the emphasis would be less on the so-called 'grammar-type” education and more on Science, Mathematics, technical and vocational training. Workshop were to be set up even at the junior secondary school level to equip the students with the requisite training in carpentry and joinery, auto-mechanics, dressing-making, food and nutrition, etc. This kind of training was to be continued at the second cycle level.

Twenty years later, we know what the problems have been. Workshops either did not exist or, where hey existed, power to run the machinery or competent teachers were not available or in very short supply.

The situation was no better at the senior secondary school level. Either as individuals or as members of Conference of heads of Assisted Secondary schools (CHASS) heads made suggestions which were disdainfully ignored or insultingly rebuffed.

For example, Heads suggested that the three-year period for the senior secondary school course should be extended to four years or that the number of subjects should be reduced.

Some schools which had been selected to run, for example, the Vocational course had no classrooms or such equipment as sewing machines or gas or electric cookers.
Some of the text books were so late in coming that both teachers and students had difficulty in completing the syllabus. I still wonder whether the textbook on Economics was ever eventually written.

The result of all the difficulties encountered was the generally poor performance by the first batch of candidates wrote the Senior Secondary school Certificate examination (SSSCE).

Following the publication of the results, the authorities held a press conference at the Accra Conference Centre with the aim of putting the blame on headmasters and headmistresses.

The attempt was a dismal failure. I remember the anguished and angry cry of a female candidate who recounted how they had received some of the books very late. She ended with the rhetoric question, “Are we magicians? Ah, ah.”

Let me NOT (repeat NOT) be understood as saying that the 1987 educational reforms did not achieve anything. Many products of the 1987 reforms have gone on from the junior secondary school and the senior secondary school to achieve high academic and professional laurels.

All that is being said here is that we should let the mistakes and shortcomings of the past guide us so that we can achieve even more under the 2007 reforms just introduced.

It is good that kindergarten is to be made an integral part of the educational system instead of making it optional. Perhaps some of us could have performed better in school if we had the benefit of starting at the kindergarten level.

Some of us are, however, worried about the number of subjects crammed into three academic years at the junior High School level.

Under the reforms, Junior High School students are expected to study English, mathematics, Social Studies, Integrated Science including Agricultural Science, a Ghanaian Language, Technical, Vocational and Agricultural education and Training (pre-technical vocational), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and French.
Can all these subjects be taught to all the students within a period of three academic years? Will there be enough workshops ad equipment for the technical, Vocational and Agricultural Education programmes? Or is it going to be just theory and no practicals?

We should not overlook the crucial factor of teachers. Already, we have been told that the basic schools alone need about 17,000 (seventeen thousand teachers.

The 39 (thirty-nine) training colleges cannot produce enough teachers to fill vacancies created by the establishment of more schools, the death, retirement, resignation of teachers and departure from the classroom for further studies.

There is the question of teachers for the ICT programme. The 2007 reforms intend to train teacher for ICT as well as for the Technical, Vocational and Agricultural Education programmes.

When will the training start? How many teachers are currently computer-literates? When will there be enough ICT teachers to ensure that all the children of Ghana in public schools benefit from ICT education?

Still on equipment, where are the computers? We must be careful not to be recipients of outmoded computers and their accessories from publicity-hungry con-men and organizations.

We are talking of computers when there are already problems with the supply of adequate textbooks and other teaching and learning materials. Will the supply be such that each pupil or student will have all the books required?

Buildings may not make a school in themselves. But decent school buildings and adequate classrooms are needed for effective teaching sand learning. Who says decent school buildings do not have a positive psychological effect on student performance?

While Government is doing its best to provide new classroom blocks to replace dilapidated ones, it is a fact that there is the need for more, especially when the Capitation grant and the school feeding programme have contributed to the swelling in the number of pupils.

Where are the desks? Is it pleasant to see children sitting three to a desk when the ideal is a pupil to one mono desk or two pupils to a dual desk?

Even in this age of the computer, we still need a school library filled with books. How many of our basic schools have libraries for pupils? Many basic school heads keep library books in the very trunks in which the books were packed and taken to the schools because there are no buildings to keep them.

Coming on top of it all is the question of funding. It is obvious that he implementation of the 2007 reforms will cost a great deal of money-money to pay adequate salaries and allowances to both teaching and non-teaching staff, to buy books and other teaching and learning equipment and materials, to provide constant training, etc.

Without adequate funding, the reforms will not work. Of course, we should not be pessimistic. Still, anyone who thinks that mere optimism can see us through the reforms is a dreamer.