Mass promotion, drug abuse identified as key barriers to academic progress in Kassena Nankana
An open discussion on the causes of declining performance highlighted several pressing issues, notably mass promotion, drug abuse among learners, general indiscipline, and alcoholism among some teachers.
The Kassena Nankana Municipal Directorate of Education has identified low academic performance, rising cases of drug abuse, and increasing indiscipline among learners as the major challenges undermining educational development in the municipality.
These concerns came to the fore during a performance appraisal meeting held on Thursday, November 20, at the Kassena Nankana Municipal Assembly Hall.
The session, organised to review the state of education in the area, brought together key stakeholders, including traditional authorities, teachers, students, and staff of the Directorate.
An open discussion on the causes of declining performance highlighted several pressing issues, notably mass promotion, drug abuse among learners, general indiscipline, and alcoholism among some teachers.
Speaking to the media, Bernard Aniwo Kutogose, the Municipal Statistical Officer, explained the rationale behind the meeting.
“If you take 2019 as the baseline, we were able to hit more than 50% in our pass rate. But since then, our performance has dropped. The BECE results fell to as low as 22% in 2022, and although we have improved slightly, we are still hovering around 35.1%. This is why we have convened all stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the poor performance in our schools.”
In his welcome address, the Kassena Nankana Municipal Director of Education, Thomas Kanlisi, described the level of retrogression recorded over the period under review as unacceptable.
“Our educational institutions continue to show slow progress in enrolment and retention. Our academic achievements have retrogressed over the years, and that is unacceptable.” He stressed.
Kanlisi acknowledged the dedication and professionalism of the majority of teachers, which has contributed to maintaining some level of instructional quality. However, he expressed concern about a few teachers who engage in alcoholism and absenteeism, behaviours he said undermine the progress of the sector.
He called for a united front in addressing the challenges hindering educational growth in the municipality.
“The performance of education in our municipality is a collective reflection of our shared vision to build an educated, disciplined, and responsible citizenry. That is why we must all come on board and give our best.”
The appraisal meeting, held under the theme “Combating Poor Performance Through Synergy,” provided a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on practical solutions aimed at reversing the declining educational standards in the Kassena Nankana Municipality.
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