Retired teacher in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Jonathan Aborah has attributed the declining performance of pupils at the basic school level partly to the policy of mass promotion, arguing that it weakens learners’ motivation to take their studies seriously.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Tuesday September 15, Aborah said some pupils become less concerned about their academic performance when they know they will progress to the next level regardless of their results.
He questioned the rationale behind allowing learners who have not adequately mastered the required knowledge and skills to progress automatically, stressing the need for patience and additional support to help struggling pupils improve.
“Why don’t you think that you need the time, the patience to do that, to re-mould that learner?” he asked.
Aborah recalled that under the previous system, pupils who failed to meet the required academic standard could be made to repeat a class, giving them an opportunity to improve their performance before progressing to the next level.
He argued that the absence of such consequences has contributed to a situation where some learners do not attach the needed seriousness to their studies because they are confident they will continue progressing through the education system.
Aborah noted that some pupils who are capable of performing well could benefit from repeating a class when their academic performance indicates that they require more time to master the necessary knowledge and skills.
He maintained that allowing learners to progress without adequately assessing their readiness for the next stage could weaken the foundation upon which subsequent levels of education are built.
Aborah therefore called for a review of policies that facilitate the automatic progression of learners, stressing that struggling pupils require adequate time, patience and support to develop academically.
He, however, emphasised that learners themselves also have a responsibility to take advantage of available educational opportunities and put in the effort required to improve their performance.
Aborah stressed that the declining standards in basic education cannot be blamed entirely on policy implementation, saying policymakers, education implementers, parents and learners all have important roles to play in improving the quality of basic education.
Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Elizabeth Apusaama
