EFFECTIVE BASIC EDUCATION IS CRITICAL CHALLENGE (P.16/17) 30-01-09

Story: Kofi Yeboah
Professor Jophus Anamoah-Mensah, the man who chaired the Presidential Committee on Educational Reform which led to the most recent educational reform, says the critical challenge of education in the country is to make basic education more effective.
He said there were concerns over declining standards in literacy and numeracy at the primary and junior high school levels, pointing out that if the quality of education at the basic level was improved, implementing a three-year or four-year secondary educational system would not be an issue.
“We need to strengthen basic education because if the base is weak, whatever system you implement will not be successful,” he stressed.
Prof Anamoah-Mensah, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, made these remarks in an interview yesterday following the hint by the Minister of Education designate, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration intended to revert to the three-year senior high school system.
Mr Tetteh-Enyo cited the lack of classrooms, teachers and appropriate textbooks for the implementation of the four-year secondary education as some of the critical challenges that justified the reversion to the three-year system.
Although the Prof Anamoah-Mensah Committee recommended a three-year secondary education, the Kufuor administration started the implementation of a four-year system which generated public furore both in support of and in opposition to the four-year duration.
Prof Anamoah-Mensah agreed with the assertion that the implementation of the reform, particularly at the secondary level, had been bedevilled with challenges of inadequate classrooms, teachers and appropriate textbooks.
He, however, stressed the need for the government to make a thorough assessment of those challenges to find out the extent of their inadequacy before taking any decision.
He said the educational system was not working effectively in view of the poor quality of literacy and numeracy at the basic level.
According to him, frequent changes in the educational system tended to have a psychological effect on schoolchildren and created the impression that “we are not serious with our education”.
While standing by the three-year recommendation of the committee, Prof Anamoah-Mensah said he did not have any problem with maintaining the four-year system or moving back to the three-year system, provided both systems would serve a good purpose, otherwise “I’m afraid the children will suffer”.
Prof Anamoah-Mensah urged the new government to increase expenditure on education, particularly on research, science, technology and open education, as a means of propelling the country’s development.
He also asked the government to endeavour to bridge the educational gap between the rich and poor, as well as the urban and the rural areas.