A retired teacher in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Jonathan Aborah has raised concerns about the declining performance of pupils at the basic education level, attributing the situation to weaknesses in education policies and their implementation, indiscipline among learners, mass promotion and other factors.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 15, Aborah said Ghana’s education system had become inconsistent over the years, with frequent changes in policies and curricula creating confusion for both teachers and learners.
According to him, inadequate resources, poor implementation and frequent curriculum changes have undermined the effectiveness of the education system.
Aborah also criticised what he described as the politicisation of education and the introduction of policies without adequate research and stakeholder consultation.
He identified mass promotion as another major challenge, arguing that automatically moving learners to the next level could weaken academic standards and deny struggling pupils the opportunity to repeat and improve their performance.
He said while a significant portion of the responsibility lies with education policies and their implementation, indiscipline among learners also contributes to the decline in academic performance.
Aborah linked some cases of learner indiscipline to what he described as irresponsible parenting, stressing that the home environment plays an important role in shaping the behaviour and attitude of children towards education.
He therefore called for stronger collaboration between parents and teachers through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), noting that both parties have important roles to play in the academic and behavioural development of learners.
Aborah further urged policymakers to ensure that education policies are properly researched, subjected to broad stakeholder consultation and supported with the necessary resources before implementation.
He also called on parents and learners to take greater responsibility for education, stressing that the availability of modern educational opportunities must be matched with discipline, proper guidance and commitment to learning.
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