Why GES, MoE Have “Neglected” KG-JHS3 in GL TV lessons
From all indications, it looks as though the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education have neglected learners from KG to JHS3 in its GL TV lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly a month after the rolling out of lessons for SHS students, the two key stakeholders are yet to ensure that lessons for KG to JHS3 students are telecast on the GL TV channel dedicated to learning in Ghana.
Many parents and guardians, and students across the country who find themselves in the category keep asking when their version of the lessons will be aired so that they can also learn while at home. Those suffering the delayed lessons are those in JHS3 who were to officially sit for the 2020 BECE in June.
For some, the delay in releasing a timetable for their lessons on the station is a clear sign of neglect and lack of willpower. NewsGhana24.com has noted with concern how less is said about the lessons for students in the KG-JHS category by the leadership of the GES and MoE.
No one knows how far they have gone with efforts to start lessons in English Language, Mathematics, Science among others for the students and everything points to the fact that, the government is more concerned about WASSCE final year students whose WASSCE success can lead to some political gains. The Students in SHS1 and SHS2 must be lucky to have been considered for the lessons on TV.
It is important that efforts are geared towards informing the public about what the challenges are if any for which reason lessons for at least JHS students have not started on GL TV. From all indications, it is highly not possible for the GES and the Ministry of Education to provide lessons in all core subjects for learners in KG to JHS3.
That for Senior High School was very easy to handle because there are just three levels. KG to JHS3 adds up to 11 levels and given that lessons for SHS, for instance, cover the whole day, creating lessons for KG-JHS3 students on TV will require at least three additional TV channels. This way, JHS1-3 will have their own channel, Upper primary – P4-P6, P1-P3 (Lower Primary), and Preschool (Nursery – KG2).
A more flexible option will be to have Upper Primary and JHS on one new TV channel for teaching and learning and Preschool to Primary 3 on another TV station. This requires huge investments in resources, planning, and personnel to teach hundreds of thousands of pupils and students who fall in this neglected category of learners.
If overstretched for resources, one extra TV channel can be dedicated to KG to JHS3 students. A well planned time table ensuring pupils and students learn English, Maths, and Science throughout the week will be enough to keep our children occupied. But for now, they are looking rusty with all the help parents are giving at home.
The above challenges may seem insurmountable for the GES and Ministry of Education to deal with and to roll out lessons for our children. But It takes planning, critical thinking, and out of the box ideas to keep afloat and show leadership within the education sphere.
There is a need for the two stakeholders (GES and MoE) to come out and tell Ghanaian school children something more convincing rather than writing letters to parents and students.
Source: Wisdom Hammond