1-year national service for S.H.S leavers is good but not appropriate replacement for COVID-19 disruption- Counsellor Daniel Fenyi

His justification was that the 1-year national service will make up for the disruption in the academic calendar caused by the coronavirus pandemic which has disrupted the academic calendar.

• SHS E-learning discriminatory as the Traditional Learning -Educationist
• Find out list of examinations suspended due to COVID-19

The concept of national service, if mooted well, in my opinion, will be a good policy especially for two reasons
_a. It will afford our SHS Leavers the opportunity to gain practical hands-on field experience in the face of the theoretical disposition of our education system._
_b. Our SHS Leavers, especially those from poor backgrounds, will get and save some money from their monthly allowance for their own upkeep, i.e., start a small business, further their education, etc._

However, this should rather be a long term plan and effectively communicated to stakeholders. National Service cannot be a temporary replacement for the classes and knowledge our children have lost in school. Obviously, a lesson not taught in Form 3, cannot be taught during national service. How then does National Service replace Form 3 class, for example?

Rather, the SHS duration, especially this year, should be extended from 3years to 4, if we really want to make up the “knowledge” loss. If the going gets unmanageably tough, this academic year can be quashed so that it is restarted in August/September. This will result in a one-year extension of the school duration for all levels, i.e., primary to SHS.

A word to the wise!

Counsellor Daniel Fenyi
Counsellor/Educationist.
Agona West.