Education

The Fact, Strange Truth, and the Unavoidable reality about the Standard Based Curriculum

New Standard-Based Curriculum: Will we succeed? I am not being pessimistic but rather I am asking a sincere and legitimate question. Teachers and high profiled educationists who are not politically skewed or bias in their thinking and criticisms have already started complaining. The complains are coming even before the outdooring ceremony of the new curriculum on the block.

Teachers live by their name not just as role models. They are mentors and learned people with critical thinking capacity that are able to analysis in-depth issues that face the nation in the area of education.

They should be the first and last to consult even before the gods are visited when it comes to education and related issues in Ghana.

Teachers Take on the New Curriculum

The moment teachers begin to question, give constructive criticism and subject government policies on education to the litmus test. The question that comes to mind is will we succeed?

However, every political leader, professional and whoever you are, providing the great army of teachers with tools, processes, and procedures to guide their work must be apt with decisions, actions and every bit of step taking.

For instance, an educationist of high repute and a counselor for that matter is like a soothsayer who sees whiles his eyes are blind. S/he can tell the dangers that persons with eyes and standing on higher pedestals cannot see even with a magnifying glass in hand.

The truth is that the moment those who are to implement any policy begin to see dangers ahead of implementation, the policy initiator must be worried if his intention is to make the policy succeed.

The Standard-Based Curriculum must succeed at all cost. But what do we gain if we are complaining ahead of the implementation?

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FACT about the New Standard-Based Curriculum

There is no globally accepted one size fits all standard education system in the world. A good reform does not imply changing everything in a given curriculum.

The German’s have a standard-based curriculum focusing on Vocational and Technical education. What is the new Ghana Education Service Curriculum focusing on?

STRANGE TRUTH about the New Standard-Based Curriculum

Again, the change of the name of the implementor from teacher to facilitator does not add any value to the teacher. Does it? Find out the meaning of a facilitator.

Can children or pupils at the Pre Schools, Primary 1 to 6 have their lessons just facilitated? Naaaa! Educators at the basic level teach. They don’t facilitate. Not even at the SHS. Some lecturers in the universities even teach sometimes.

UNAVOIDABLE REALITY of the New Standard-Based Curriculum

The new syllabus does not give prominence to agriculture an important backbone of the Ghanaian economy.

However, Ghanaian children will be learning history. Meanwhile, Chinese children are learning electronics, IT and doing practicals and eventing new ideas and products.

We are screaming out “Robotics will be part of the standard Base Curriculum. Like seriously? Where are the ICT labs in our basic schools? Has the government trained teachers on robotics? It’s a pity.

Above all, what will the Ghanaian child after six or so years of learning Ghana’s history which they learn anyway under citizen education become? Masters of their history. That is not bad but what if, they are unable to implement what they learn from history in solving problems.

WHAT WE MISSED in the New Standard-Based Curriculum

Can you imagine an introduction to courses like Arts, basic business principles, catering/ home economics, and Agriculture? These will help children develop an interest in vocational and technical subjects even before they get to JHS.

If I am forced to overstretch this, I will call for the inclusion of leadership focused subjects for children.

In the same vein, I suggest a new subject bordering on corruption and how it is negatively impacting the masses and society in Africa with emphasis on Ghana.

If you disagree with me on any of the issues raised…Let us start a debate now!

Source: Wisdom Eli Kojo Hammond