Is there a Decline in the Standard of Education in Ghana?

Ghana has produced a lot of professors, and exported many to Europe, Asia, and other African nations. Ghanaian scientists and engineers have left their mark on NASA and space exploration, Optic Fibre and other fields.

In the western countries, their educational structure allows the early and easier advancement of their children. Children as young as five are masters of assembling: because they played with toys that were scattered and assembled all their early years. Though their system allows them to select one field and focus on it alone throughout their education, one can argue that they know when to study and to have fun. Their parents also play crucial roles in their education by motivating and advising them to study. They grow to know so much that they find it easy to try new things in the hope of introducing new inventions. Majority succeed at that. Even if the impact on society would be small, they would still want to introduce their ideas in the hope of making life simpler.

The African child has equal opportunities that help in the development and that of the brain especially. The games we play as children are so beneficial to the body and mind. The stories we are told are always easy to recollect: since we pay rapt attention during the listening process. We are also trained to form our own interesting stories in a very short period when we are suddenly asked to tell one.

Surprisingly, as the Ghanaian child is growing into an adolescent, majority find it difficult to recollect what was thought them. Education is discipline: in that if you do not discipline yourself; you cannot sit to study, let alone revise what was studied. Studying is one task. Revision is another.

Concentrations during lessons have become uneasy for the younger generations. If a student does not pay rapt attention, he/she cannot understand what is being taught. The problem of not studying is also common. For revision, they rarely do that.

As students continue to find it difficult to appreciate some subjects because they claim to dislike

them, as they tend to forget what was learned, as their performance are declining by the day, the question of what the source of the problem actually is lingers on. Could it be the students themselves, their study habits, parental absence in studies, or even the teachers?

The poor results of our teachers in their licensure exams are very alarming. Could it be that the teachers themselves are not well-learned to impact knowledge into the students? Could it be the mindset that because of free education, it is easier for basic students to find their ways into senior high?

Whatever the problem is, our children do not have the proper training that makes a student read, understand and recollect what was studied. Simple mathematics questions are ‘mountains to climb.’ When it comes to basic critical analysis, they fail to grasp the understanding of what is being read.

If our children are not able to fit into the modern world of technological advancement then we do not have a future as a people. Artificial Intelligence is advancing at a scary rate that even the most intelligent of humans could become slaves to them. What of the unintelligent? They might be ‘thinned’ out of society because they cannot fit into the A.I. world.

What I would recommend for students is that they learn to study in groups, focus on studies, design their own study strategies, try to concentrate and also to revise their lessons.

For parents, I advise that they value their investments. They have to be in control and interact between their wards and teachers to find the problems their children face.

For the teachers, they should do their homework well. That is they should prepare for lessons adequately, teach to the best of understanding of even the ‘slowest’ student, reteach students who could not grasp the understanding during lessons, give out assignments that require the students to think before getting the answers so as to advance in their mental strengths, and overall discipline any student who fails to do the homework. They should also have a good communication channel with the parents so as to address them on the shortcomings of their wards. Teaching is a sacrificial work so we plead that you put in the sacrifice.

Intelligence in the classroom has a lot to do with revision, but that is the most difficult task in education. Anyone who sits up to revise what was learned always improves academically. Reading of textbooks should be supplemented with question solving, which gives the student a feel of examination and what to expect. That prepares the student psychologically for any exam.

When it comes to examination, students should read through the questions and first try to grasp the understanding as they write down the key points, outline how best to answer the questions before they begin the answering process. That puts the student in control – no pressure, no forgetfulness. Questions that could not be answered immediately should be left and returned to later in the examination. That saves valuable time.

As a fellow who once taught as a way of giving back to society and was very good at rebuilding all students to become A+ student, I advise that all three persons discussed above come together to find a lasting solution to the academic problems. That is why we have P.T.A. meetings but how effective are they?

Education remains mainly to give mental liberation but it provides employment qualifications for most jobs. Students should plan very early in their life to use their acquired knowledge to create employment as well, instead of waiting on only white collar jobs.

It is beautiful to be able to answer questions in class. Those who fail to should not have inferiority complex – they too can do better if only they decide to. Parents and teachers who write poor performing students off should immediately desist from that because everyone has potential. Students should speak up about their problems and parents should also seek guidance. Some of us in the communities are ever available to assist: You only have to contact us.

And finally, there is the issue of Energy Level – that is when you are energetic enough to study. At that point, you are not hungry, angry or depressed. If you study at the time that your energy level is high, you will understand everything completely. At that time, you will even be surprised at how you enjoy the studies. Your energy level can be high at dawn, in the evening or early in the morning. And it works differently for different subjects. Never study when your energy level is low: you will not even know what you are reading. You will know yourself that you are wasting your time.

Always remember this one thing as a student that, ‘There is much joy in learning.’

By Sylvo Ben-Afa