Education Ministry urged to reduce number of subjects at basic schools
The Ghana Schools Project, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has suggested to Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service to reduce the number of subjects’ pupils study at the basic school level.
Mr Anthony Kwaku Amoah, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the organisation, told Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra that the current system, which allows pupils to study about nine subjects at the junior high level, is too demanding and stressful.
Mr Amoah, who is also a teacher and counsellor, said the rising cases of examination malpractices could be attributed to stress as a result of high number of subjects pupils are made to study.
”Sitting down to study all these subjects in itself is stressful then to talk of the tension that goes with the actual writing of the examination,” he said.
”Quality education delivery does not depend on the number of subjects that the learner is made to study but the kinds of resources and methodology used.
Pupils are loaded with many subjects as their schools lack computers for ICT lessons and laboratories for basic science experiments.”
He suggested that the current number of subjects taught at the basic level should therefore be pruned down to about five subjects to allow for enough time and resources for effective teaching and learning.
”My feeling is that it would be better to merge some of the subjects to read English Language, Mathematics, Basic Science and Technology Education, Social and Religious Studies, Ghanaian Language and French. With this, the pressure can go down a bit and pupils can study well,” he said.
The current junior high school concept features about nine subjects, including English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Religious and Moral Education, Social Studies, Basic Design and Technology, ICT, Ghanaian Language and French.
The PRO used the occasion to appeal to government, parents and other stakeholders to assist the school to churn out quality education to pupils.
”A strong school produces a strong graduate and the resultant effect has always been a strong, quality nation.”
The Ghana Schools Project, since its existence for 10 years now, has been instrumental in the provision of quality education and health care delivery in the country.
Source: GNA