Education And Human Resources - Ghana In Context

In any state, human resources are the primary driving force to its sustained development. As such, states with well equipped human resources are mostly on the verge to immense "break out" in their socio-economic capacity.

Education is one way the human resource is made to realise it's full potential through the supply of technical- know- how needed for sustained growth.

Ghana in context, development is lacking not because we don't have the needed natural resources to support a states advancement, but the vital human resource to optimize the utilization of these resources is "ill" equipped.

The educational system in Ghana has poorly contributed to ameliorate the flaw in its human resources due to two significant reasons; colonial heritage and partisan interest. The former connotes the condition by which precedents laid down by colonial masters are adhesively followed without considering unique values and customs associated with a state. Whearas the later means the play of partisan politics in the educational system by supposed leaders.

The adherence to colonial heritage in the Ghanaian educational system draws back a state's capacity. Ghana is a nation with so much mineral resources that needs to be extracted and optimised. Therefore, the "bookish" culture introduced by a nation with less mineral resources can only render the nation underdeveloped. To extract, technical skills is needed and to utilize, reasoning is needed.

Technical skills, although taught in various educational institutions around the country is not advanced, due to poor encouragement from national leaders. For instance, state contracts are mostly awarded to non-Ghanaians, and those who venture into technical fields are poorly trained due to use of "under- advanced" technologies which renders them uncompetitive in the international world. Where an individual lives in a society where cognisance is not given to his skills, he resorts to "white collar jobs". Where he can "boldly seat in an air conditioned office with a pleasant tie".

Without the built capacity to reason, the utilization of mineral resources would not be optimised for socio, politico, economic growth. When there is too much emphasis on books and not on theories, the human capital cannot 'think' and advance theories of development without relying on western ideologies. This primarily contributed to Ghana's over reliance on foreign assistance to exploit it's resources for example, the excavation of new found oil resource was left to foreign experts which left the country with meager returns from its oil benefit.

Partisan influence in the educational system by leaders undermines its effectiveness. For instance, the NPP and NDC made senior high school a four years and three years program respectively to gain popular support for their party. Ignoring the fact that, a four year term helps students better cover their large syllabus, prepares them adequately for their final exams and reduces pressure on university facilities.

Ghana should come to understand the value of human resources to sustained growth and free it from colonial heritage and partisan influence in that way, poverty would be eradicated. Policy makers should 'reason' in this direction.

#Thinking Is Everything-Rebrand The Educational System

Rachael Omeife
(Department of Political Studies)
KNUST
[email protected]