Features
Burning issues Don’t politicise education matters
When it comes to hard working individuals in the country, we need to recognise them and give praise to them where praise is due instead of condemning them simply because we do not understand what they stand for regarding the systems they want to introduce to bring improvement in areas where they have been given a task to operate and achieve success.
Not quite long ago we heard of all kinds of attacks from certain individuals against the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum. These criticisms are not fair to him because certain individuals who cannot manage the educational system in the country attacked him by saying that he was spoiling the educational system in the country and, therefore, should be relieved of his post as Minister of Education.
UNFORTUNATE COMMENTS
Comments such as these are very unfortunate, especially when they come from those who cannot contribute in any way to make the system better. It is important for us to be circumspect in our criticisms of others whenever we have the opportunity to do so.
Criticisms are always welcome and must be offered to anybody who plays a clean role in the public sector for the good of the country. Criticisms are always welcome but they must be constructive rather than destructive. If this is not done, we can create chaos for the country as a whole.
CONSTRUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Constructive criticism refers to a situation where observers are able to see loopholes in what some other person is doing in the country and pointing out the mistakes in a kind hearted manner. Such an approach is always good for society so we need to encourage people to go by this kind of criticism. Constructive criticism has helped countries to develop rather than destroy them. Places like US, UK and many other countries have benefitted immensely from this kind of criticism.
In the case of Africa, on the other hand, people are more interested in destructive criticism which is meant to destroy people put in charge of matters as away of making them fail in society. If we expect those in authority to fail in what they are doing, then we should not expect progress and achievement in any sectors of the economy.
The Minister of Education is one person who has sacrificed his life to save the country so as to ensure that the educational system is modified to become productive and effective so as to serve the interest of the country. Education always has the purpose to ensure that the needs of the country are identified and explored in a manner that will bring solutions to the people in that country. If solutions are found because of the educational system the end result will benefit all the people in the country and thereby make life better for them.
PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
Many years ago, one leader in Africa Julius Nyerere made a point that “education is like sending somebody from a village to go and find something, a solution, and bring it back to save that village. The person then sets off and goes to look for that solution. After finding what he is looking for the person comes back with what he has found to address the problems and challenges facing the village.”
If the challenges and problems are successfully addressed, then what that person brought has served a good purpose and, for that reason, it would mean that the mission has been accomplished in a manner as anticipated by the village. When this happens, we say that what the person has done is like an established educational system. This educational system is, therefore, good and must be adopted.
For Many years people in this country and in many parts of Africa have pointed out and made it clear that the educational system being operated is not serving the purpose for which it is intended. This is because people come out of our science studies without being able to solve simple practical problems facing the country. If we are unable to use our scientific knowledge to solve our problems, then there is something wrong with the educational system which we are operating.
Again, the unemployment rate is growing higher and higher because we are putting emphasis on grammar or Reading and Writing skills instead of on the development of vocational skills. In addition to vocational skills, technical skills are also important. All these, together with grammar education or reading and writing is needed for the full development of the country.
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS
The country must develop, but this can only come about if emphasis is put on vocational and technical skills. We seem to have realised this under the current administration led by the current president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The person in the seat of education is Dr. Adutwum who is doing his best to bring improvement into the country’s system of education.
He is one of the hardworking people operating in the United States and was found by the current president during a visit to that country. Seeing the good work he was offering to the US, the current president persuaded him to come home and he agreed to do so to serve his own country. According to this man he spoke to some of his managers in the US who also agreed with him that he could come home to his country and help in the national reconstruction programme going on in Ghana.
This is how this Minister of Education left his good job in the US to come home and help in the reconstruction of the nation. It is, therefore, reasonable and proper that we see the good role he is playing as a great sacrifice for his country. It is a great sacrifice because he could have stayed in the United States if he were that selfish and sought to feed himself and his family alone. However, because of his patriotic spirit he decided to come home.
Since his return he has been performing wonderfully well and the government is happy with the pace of work by him and his Ministry. We, therefore, need to encourage him to stay on but not to discourage him to go away. If we discourage him to go away, he will readily be accepted back by his former employers and it is our country that would lose the privileges and benefits attached to his role as Minister of Education.
COMPETENCE AND HUMILITY
He is a competent and humble person who must be encouraged by all for the accomplishment of the task given him. If you do not understand any steps he has taken or is taking, kindly approach or consult him for a clearer picture. We must not destroy the good materials we have so that the country as a whole will benefit from his progress and intelligence even though we can criticise incompetent people.
The Minister of Education must be commended. He deserves strong commendation for the good works he is doing so the opponents in the country must learn to appreciate him to rebuild this country. The semester system which he approved for implementation in pre-tertiary schools was meant to bring relaxation to teachers, parents and students, but he was misunderstood. This explains why he said that the country should go back to the old system, that is, the term system.
Let us appreciate him for what he is doing for the good of the country, so that at the end of it all we shall all benefit from his good intentions.
Contact email/whatsApp address of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
This week I have a very strong desire to put on my Apostolic Cap and talk about the power available to children of God which we can utilise to generate positive outcomes, in our lives.
There is a phrase in the Bible that if Christians meditate on, can immensely transform their lives. In Matthew 28:6 there is a phrase “… as he said…” according to the King James Version.
Thus phrase forms part of a statement declared by an angel of God to two women who were disciples of Jesus who had gone to his tomb early in the morning on the third day after his death.
According to the Biblical account, the stone covering the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away and an Angel was sitting on it and he made the statement to the effect that the Jesus they are seeking is not there and that he had risen, as he said before his death.
His resurrection affirmed the authenticity and dependability of the word of Jesus and therefore the word of God.
Christianity has to do with faith in the word of God. Pastor Mensa Otabil said if we view Christianity as an inside out view, you would go inside to operate the power that is in you.
As a Christian, the spirit of God and therefore the power of God, dwells in you. Anyone who is aware of this truth, does not go around seeking to have a so called powerful person resolve his or her spiritual issues.
Most Christians who move from prophet to prophet, do not believe that the spirit of God which operates in a Pastor or Prophet, is the same spirit that dwells in him or her.
In fact , that Christian may be more ‘powerful’ than the Prophet or Pastor he is going to for prayers because he is living a holy life, which is pleasing to God, for God is no respecter of persons according to Acts 10:34-35.
God does not give out his spirit in different measures to indwell believers. The spirit of God that dwells in a new convert, is the same spirit that dwells in a Bishop or a Prophet or an Evangelist or an Elder or a Deacon.
All you need to do as a child of God is to believe in the word of God and know that it works and that according to 1 John 4:4 we, Christians, that the Spirit of God dwells in us have overcome the world and Jesus in us, is greater than the Devil who is out in the world, wrecking havoc all around.
If we realise that we have overcome the Devil and everything he controls, then we can believe and act in faith and make declarations and just as Christ declared that he will die and on the third day, he will rise from the dead and it manifested as he said, there shall be a manifestation of our declarations also.
The problem of modern day Christians is that, a lot of them, do not study and meditate on the word of God, so they do not witness the manifestation of the power of God, in their lives.
Such an experience over time, give them the impression that the spirit of God dwells in different dimensions in believers. This then leads them to seek solutions to their challenges from so called powerful men of God.
Some Pastors also fall into this misconception of the measure of the spirit of God in believers. When the size of a Pastor’s church for instance, is not increasing the way he had been praying for self-doubt sometimes begin to set in.
Especially, if he begins to compare his church with that of say a colleague from the same Bible School, then he begins to wonder if there is not a spiritual secret he is not aware of.
This is when, if care is not taken, fellow Pastors who appears to be very successful in the ministry but are using occultic powers, could sway them from the narrow path and get them trapped in the Devil’s clutches and eventually and inevitably, destroy their lives. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Introduction
You have been there. Twenty tabs open comparing laptops. A blank page for an email you’ve been “thinking about” for three days. A menu with 30 options and you leave hungry.
This is decision paralysis: the state where the volume of information, options, or perceived stakes prevents you from making a decision at all. It’s not laziness. It’s a cognitive overload response.
In a data-rich environment, it’s becoming the default mode for both individuals and organisations.
This article breaks down why it happens, how it shows up, what it costs, and how to break it.
1. What decision paralysis actually is?
Decision paralysis is a failure of the decision-making system to convert information into action. Psychologists call it ‘analysis paralysis’ or ‘choice overload.’
It has three components:
1. Cognitive overload: Working memory can hold between four to seven chunks of information at once. When you try to track 20 variables, the system freezes.
2. Anticipatory regret: You overestimate the pain of making the wrong choice. The brain avoids the emotional cost by avoiding the choice.
3. Ambiguity aversion: Humans prefer known risks over unknown ones. When outcomes are uncertain, we stall.
The result is not neutral. Not deciding is a decision. It costs time, momentum, and opportunity
2. Why it’s getting worse now
2.1 Infinite options
Amazon has 350 million products. Netflix has 6000+ titles. Dating apps have unlimited profiles. The paradox of choice: more options increase initial satisfaction but decrease final satisfaction and increase regret.
2.2 Information abundance without synthesis
You can find 50 studies on sleep. Each one has caveats, conflicting results, and different methodologies. Without a framework to integrate them, more data creates more confusion, not clarity. This connects directly to the “data-rich, wisdom-poor” problem.
2.3 Reversibility anxiety
In the digital age, most decisions feel permanent. A bad post goes viral. A bad hire is public on LinkedIn. A bad career move is visible. The fear of irreversible error makes people delay.
2.4 Algorithmic mirroring
Platforms show you what you already engage with. This creates an illusion that there’s one ‘best’ option you are missing. You keep searching, convinced the optimal choice is one more scroll away.
3. How it shows up
Personal Level
Cannot pick a career path after six months of ‘research’
Spend two hours choosing a movie and watch nothing
Delay sending an email because it ‘isn’t perfect’
3.1 Organisational level
Teams spend 80 per cent of time in meetings gathering data, 20 per cent deciding
Product teams delay launch waiting for “one more data point”
KPIs multiply but no strategic choice is made
3.2 Common cognitive tells:
Endless comparison tables
Asking for one more opinion
Reframing the problem instead of solving it
Feeling drained after thinking but not acting
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
