Features
Bringing education back to former glories
Education plays a pivotal role in the development of any country in all aspects, be it social, economic, political, cultural or moral advancement. It is one of the foremost rights to be given priority and provided for all humans. It is, therefore, a right not a privilege and every human is entitled to it.
Simply put, education, is, therefore, regarded as a platform to manipulate the needed manpower for national development. The sole purpose, is to train an individual to meet the needs of society and to boost national development in the best possible ways. It presupposes that, the quality of a nation’s education, determines the level of its national development.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
An educational environment, helps people to figure out the skills that they badly need to get rid of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and other social and economic problems. Therefore, schools at various levels, are encouraged to educate upcoming future leaders and develop the multi-dimensional and technical capabilities needed for economic growth and development.
Without a proper and quality education for the citizens, all the various sectors of an economy of any country will suffer immensely, because it is the available manpower that propels all the economic sectors. That is why it is important for any country to provide the youth who are the future leaders with a well-tailored and proper education to help in the national reconstruction.
GHANA’S EDUCATION NOT CREATIVE
Unfortunately, in Ghana, we are being told by the number three gentleman of the land, Rt-Hon Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, the Speaker of our august Parliament that, the country’s educational system is not what it used to be in the past, as it teaches students to memorise, rather than making them creative.
Speaker Bagbin expressed this concern and noted that, the system should be organised in a manner that would encourage creativity among the students. “Our educational system is not too good. We mostly develop one aspect of our brains which is the memory and so, what they teach you is what you chew, assimilate and accommodate. Therefore, when they ask you a question, you try to reproduce what you have chewed. Our educational system does not teach many to be creative to come up with our own ideas”, he said.
He professed that, both youth development and empowerment, were very essential and, must go hand-in-hand.
His assertion has attracted a lot of comments from Ghanaians majority of whom agreed with his observation, calling on government, parliament and the educational authorities to take a second look at the deplorable educational system and make it functional and workable.
‘CHEW, POUR, PASS AND FORGET’ MENTALITY
It is a fact that, for many years, our educational system, seemed to place much premium on memorisation by repetition and that had become an impediment for people to be forward-looking. This mentality is based on what can be termed, “chew, pour, pass and forget” system and this cuts across all the educational ladder. This can be very dangerous for our survival as a nation.
This type of training, especially, in the country’s universities, makes it difficult for graduates to apply what they have learnt in schools to the world of work. From the perspectives of most students, assessment methods used in their universities, had failed to examine their ability to answer practical questions even in their fields of study. This means that, lecturers in the various universities are not doing the right thing, and that they must try as much as possible to make their assessment more practical and applied to the real world of work.
SKILLED MANPOWER EDUCATION
This country needs skilled people to propel its economic aspirations and a school system that can help foster that agenda of technical and vocational education. The current educational system in this country, measures people purely on cognitive ability, which is not all that we need. It is, indeed, sad that to-date, we are engaged in this ‘chew, pour, pass and forget’ system of learning and that, students have not been empowered to self-develop and learn the skills for themselves, instead, they are prepared to study and pass examinations and that seems destructive.
GES ASSURANCE OF NEW CURRICULUM
The Ghana Education Service (GES) in 2019, gave a firm assurance that it would roll out a new educational curriculum that would focus on the total development of the child and not to be an examination-focused, to discourage the ‘chew, pour, pass and forget’ syndrome.
Dr Prince Armah, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), disclosed this when he granted an interview to the media in 2019. According to him, the new curriculum, when introduced, would develop people who would be able to fit into the development priorities of the country.
Two years on, there is nothing to prove that the proposed new curriculum has been introduced to streamline the process because the old mentality of ‘chew, pour, pass and forget’ continues unabated in all spheres of the educational ladder.
LACK OF ADEQUATE ATTENTION TO EDUCATION
It is instructive to say that the fallen standards of education in this country, clearly reveals that we are not giving adequate attention to the management of education and that, there is something basically wrong which we need to address in order to lift up the fallen standard. The pidgin English has even compounded the current situation. Students in our universities no longer speak the queen’s language which is English language fluently. They have adulterated the language with pidgin and that is not helpful.
Now that the Speaker of Parliament has raised his voice over this worrying situation, it means the problem has assumed a larger dimension which calls for all hands on deck approach to deal with the fallen standard of education in the country.
NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON EDUCATION
There is the need for a national educational dialogue which will assemble all the stakeholders in educational sector to brainstorm on how best this country can address the fallen standards of education across board to bring it in line with international standard to make it more potent and relevant to the needs of the society.
There should also be regular and constant training programmes for our teachers to prepare them adequately with modern trends in the profession to address the challenges in the educational sector.
The Minister of Education should be invited to appear before Parliament to give an overview of the current situation on the educational front and how he intends to address the problem to enable the country to regain its former glories in that sector.
The time is now for an all deck approach to tackle and deal decisively with the fallen trend of education in our beloved country.
By Charles Neequaye
I experienced something on Monday, June 15, that really frustrated me. I had to go to the ministries but I could not get up early that day so I decided to pick a taxi and get to the Tuba Junction.
When I got there I realised that Traffic had built up from the Toll Booth towards Accra. After a while I got a Taxi and it was when we got to a certain spot on the road, that I realised why there was a traffic jam.
There is a short stretch of the road where each time it rains heavily, loose material run down the hill onto the road, blocking one side of the road. Vehicles from Kasoa to Accra are then forced to move into one of the lanes of those going towards Kasoa from Accra.
The two lane road from Accra to Kasoa becomes a single carriage way. That was the reason for the traffic jam from the toll booth onwards.
This has been a perineal problem and yet, no permanent solution has been found till date. The area falls under Ga South and even though, a new MCE has taken over, the technocrats are still there and so the problem is not new to them.
There is therefore no excuse for the inability of the Ga South Metropolitan Assembly to resolving the problem on that stretch of the road. Apart from the Ga South Metropolitan Assembly, another institution that must be held accountable is the Ghana Highways Authority.
The Highways Authority cannot say they are unaware of this issue. The fact that the problem falls within the area of responsibility of the Ga South Assembly, does not relieve the Ghana Highways Authority, of their responsibility of ensuring that our highways are maintained in a motorable state at all times.
A collaboration between the Ghana Highways Authority and The Ga South Municipal Assembly is required for a permanent resolution of the problem.
There was another traffic jam at a place called Atala about 250 metres to the traffic light at Old Barrier as a result of an issue similar to the one close to the toll booth, that I talked about earlier.
When we got to Weija junction, we encountered another traffic jam. The cause of this jam was a bad condition of road about 80 metres from the traffic light at Ga South Hospital heading towards Accra.
Due to the bad nature at that section of the road, vehicles are compelled to slow down resulting in a traffic jam stretching all the way to Weija Junction.
I started wondering if that short stretch of road cannot be sorted on one Sunday when traffic is usually light. When we got to the traffic light at Odorkor, there was another issue.
When the traffic light shows green, there is a slow down because there is a big pothole or should I say manhole in the outer lane, right at the traffic light. Vehicles in the outer lane are compelled to swerve into the second lane thereby causing a traffic to slow down and resulting in a traffic jam.
It is very important to take into account the effect of traffic jam on the national economy. If we are able to assess the value of the loss to the economy of the nation, I believe the issue of traffic jam will be prioritised.
Imagine persons working at various Government Organisations like Registrar General’s Department, Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, CEPS etc. and lives at Kasoa and whose job is to collect revenue for the state and is held up in traffic.
Just imagine the effect their lateness to work will have on the economy if you consider the delays in say clearing of goods at the port and as a result traders cannot sell their goods for government to generate the required taxes.
Let us deal with the traffic jams on our streets to promote economic growth. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Mortality is an inherent aspect of life, a universal experience that has sparked philosophical, theological, and scientific inquiry throughout human history.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of mortality, acknowledging the complexity of the topic and the diverse perspectives surrounding it.
The biological imperative
From a biological standpoint, death is a natural part of the life cycle. It serves as a mechanism for the evolution of species, allowing for the passing on of genetic material and the adaptation to environmental changes.
Evolutionary perspective: Death allows for the recycling of resources, promoting the survival and adaptation of species.
Life span and senescence: Cellular aging and the limitations of biological systems contribute to mortality.
Philosophical and existential perspectives
Existentialism: Emphasises individual freedom and responsibility in the face of mortality.
Meaning and purpose: The finite nature of life can prompt individuals to seek meaning and purpose.
The human condition: Mortality is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, shaping our perceptions and values.
Cultural and spiritual views
Afterlife and spirituality: Many cultures and religions believe in an afterlife or spiritual continuation.
Rituals and mourning: Cultural practices surrounding death reflect the significance of mortality in human experience.
Legacy and remembrance: The impact of one’s life can transcend mortality.
Ethical considerations
End-of-life care: Ethical debates surround issues like euthanasia, assisted dying, and palliative care.
Quality of life: Balancing the value of life with the quality of life is a complex ethical issue.
Resource allocation: Societal decisions about healthcare and resource distribution involve considerations of mortality.
Psychological impact
Grief and loss: The experience of mortality can evoke profound emotional responses.
Fear and anxiety: The awareness of mortality can lead to existential anxiety.
Appreciation and gratitude: Recognising mortality can foster appreciation for life.
Conclusion
Mortality is a multifaceted aspect of human existence, influencing how we live, relate, and find meaning. Understanding and acknowledging mortality can prompt deeper reflections on life and our place in the world.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
