The State Of Education In Ghana

This piece of writing is dedicated to Dorcas Blutty, an avid reader of my works. A cursory glance at the education system of Ghana brings about many questions to memory.

As the first African country to the south of the Sahara to gain political independence from colonial rule in 1957, one will be tempted to believe that the education system of Ghana is one of the best in the continent of Africa.

The education system of Ghana is in a “sorry” state. I dare say that Ghana’s education system is backward looking, primitive and still responding to colonial needs.

Ghana is said to be independent but many things and systems in Ghana are still dependent and responding to colonial needs. Our education system is still tied to the apron-strings of the colonial masters.

The school of the British nearby Cape Coast and the Danish school at the Christiansburg castle at Accra at the colonial era aimed at training children in what is commonly known as the 3Rs (reading, arithmetic and writing) and also to inculcate religion in the indigenous people.

The primary purpose of this type of education was to prepare them for employment in the European commercial enterprises on the coast.

It was solely to prepare them to occupy and be able to carry out

official duties while students learned how to read and write.

Long after our colonial leaders have left the shores and borders of

Africa, there has not been any significant improvement either than learning how to read and write.

After a man is been taught how to fish, does he then fishes all day without catching any fish? Nkrumah foresaw this in 1961 and decided to establish the University of Science and technology.

But as I write this piece, the school is nothing good to write home about in terms of science and technology.

Its students in the field of Engineering can’t even boast of a bicycle. One cannot even tell if it was built solely for science and

technology or for humanities.
The education system of Ghana to a large extent, “teaches one what to think and not how to think” says Allan K. Buah. The school system in Ghana imposes an archaic and regimented lifestyle on its students thereby not allowing them to be innovative.

They are not allowed to explore their immediate surroundings. Formulae that were formulated by some ancient people like Archimedes in the field of science and Adams smith in the field of economics are still used in teaching meanwhile, new events are happening around us every blessed second.

Martin Luther king jnr. once retorted that “the aim of education is to teach one to think critically and extensively…” The education system in Ghana can be compared to students in a frantic

race who are learning with a frantic haste.
The average student has acquired the habit of always searching for answers to questions but funnily enough, they turn out to

forget the questions when the answers to the questions are found.

This is due to the unnecessary pressure the system gives to its

students.
The excellent student in Ghana is therefore left with no other choice but to resort to the C.P.F method of learning thus “chew, pour and forget”.

For years, students have been victimized by the type of education system in Ghana. The student is therefore blamed at the

long run if he is not able to perform in his respective field of work.

There are tentacles of fear closed around the education system of Ghana. Unlike the Spartans system of education, the education system of Ghana has no clear philosophy.

The Spartans had a clear philosophy when it comes to education. The Spartans believed in a life of discipline, simplicity and self-

denial.
The purpose of education in ancient Sparta was to produce an army. This clear philosophy saw the segregation of strong and healthy babies from the unhealthy babies.

This practice was done right at birth. The healthy and strong babies were then assigned to a “brotherhood” or a “sisterhood” where they were been forged into fierce soldiers

The Spartans had a clear philosophy which stated that their education should be based on training children to acquire basic skills for battle.

They believed that healthy women were capable of producing

healthy babies. So their women were taught basic battle skills, gymnastics and physical education.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Without mincing words, Myles Munroe once stated that “where purpose is not known abuse is inevitable”. For there to be reformation in the educational system of Ghana, the following should be noted.

1. The education system in Ghana should have a clear philosophy. This philosophy will state the calibre and breed of people we want to produce as a nation.

2. The educational Act of 1966 should be amended to make

education autonomous. I am of the view that our economy can do well if the necessary steps are taken to eradicate the problems plaguing our educational system.

Education in Ghana should not wholly be entrusted to the care of government since some policy makers are not able to make

informed choices. They may be in such offices by virtue of their

political affiliation so most of their choices will be for them to gain cheap political popularity.

3. The students who are major stakeholders of education should be made to have a say in our system of education. It should not

always be “controller-robot” relationship.

By this, I do no mean to promote disdainful manners on the part of the students. There is always a clear difference between respect and fear.

Unfortunately, most instructors in the Ghana, create

an avenue for them to look fearful instead of been respected by the students.

4. We should improve upon the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic). The question we should ask ourselves is “what is next after a student is able to read and write?” we should live above just learning how to read and write.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.
The Writer Is A Student Of The
University Of Cape Coast