THE ROT AT GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE

VAE 100 VANE AVATIME
AVATIME SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
P.O. BOX VN 14
VANE-AVATIME
TEL: 0208880048
EMAIL:[email protected]

2nd FEBRUARY 2011

THE EDITOR
DAILY GRAPHIC
P.O. BOX 742
ACCRA

Dear Sir,

THE ROT AT GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE

I write to complain about certain practices that continue to plague the education sector, especially pre-tertiary education in Ghana as a result of ineffective leadership at Ghana Education Service at District, Regional and Headquarters levels leading to the rapid decline in the quality of education being provided to our children in public schools in Ghana.

First of all, let us remind ourselves that the Ghana Education Service exists to provide policy direction and supervision of the delivery of education especially at the pre-tertiary level. This role has over the years been handed over to politicians on a silver platter and they have exploited the opportunity to the fullest toying with so many experiments without clear justifications in common sense. There is no long term policy direction leading to so many ad-hoc ´reforms´ over the last few years leaving students and teachers stranded in an abyss of confusion so deep that only Jesus Christ can remove them from it. These are already in the news so I don´t want to waste any time enumerating them here. My worry is some of these politicians are former teachers.

This lack of direction has also creeped into the provision of textbooks and other logistics. Textbooks and other materials are dumped on students and teachers on a regular basis without any consideration for their effectiveness in guiding instruction and learning. It is only probably a miracle that we continue to produce students who are able to progress up the education ladder and become useful citizens. For instance in the area of Mathematics there have been about three changes in textbooks from 2008 to date and at the moment there is confusion as to which of the textbooks should be used. Only last week another batch has been added to the confusion. Changes in syllabi are also rampant to accompany the ´reforms´, meanwhile classrooms, dormitories and accommodation for teachers is short in supply.

The issue I consider most thorny is the provision of training for teachers. Once people are employed into the Ghana Education Service from whatever background they are to start teaching immediately without any training. If they are ambitious enough to seek to go for further studies they are frustrated by a thick layer of bureaucracy camouflaged in policies and procedures which frustrate teachers who are desirous of upgrading themselves through study leaves and other training opportunities in Ghana and abroad. It seems to me it is a criminal offense to seek any improvement in your knowledge and skills once you enter Ghana Education Service. Most of the staff in the District, Regional and Headquarters treat teachers shabbily any time they go there to have their problems addressed. This attitude is also carried over to anyone who has some business to transact there. They always demand incentives like cash to carry out what they are paid to do and sometimes default in doing it even when the incentive is given leading to delays in procedures. Those who cannot bear it seek refuge in other more professionally managed institutions resulting in high turnover of staff which is then erroneously attributed to study leaves. People will still find their way out even if there are no study leaves if they are bent on doing that. The mentality that training of employees is an expense which needs to be avoided at all costs can only belong to the annals of stone age leadership and management but this is what is practiced at Ghana Education Service.

There are so many other problems facing the educational sector which cannot be addressed here probably for lack of space. I wrote an article entitled ´A Teacher´s Manifesto At 33- A Prayer To God´ and sent it to your much esteemed publication which touches on some of the issues raised above but I am yet to receive a response from your newspaper, I assume it is too long. Maybe we need to commission a PhD level research into the structure and functions of the Ghana Education Service and its impact on the falling standards of education in Ghana before we can begin to appreciate that something needs to be done to change the thinking and behaviour of our leaders in the way education is handled in this country. Posterity will not forgive us if we continue to sit down and take no action. That is why I am writing this letter.

Thanks very much and counting on your usual co-operation.

Yours Sincerely,
SENYO PROSPER KWAMI AMEGADZEWU ANYOMI