The blindness of most leaders in Ghana is negatively affecting the life of the youth due to the barbaric system of education that we have, from the basic level to the tertiary level. I wish I can get answers to, why most of our politicians and leaders run abroad to further their education. Also, some even fly their children to outside countries to be educated. These are things that should trigger question in the mind of the youth in this nation. If the education system here in Ghana is better compared to others in different countries, then why will they have to pay much cost, just to make sure they and their children get better education outside? My heart aches when l think about these demanding questions.
A quote from our own late Kofi Annan says; “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family”. I just want to dwell a little bit on this quote to express my opinion on what the leaders of Ghana are missing when it comes to Educating its human resources. Knowledge, as we all believe, is power, which is obtained through both formal (major) or informal education. The question is, what sort of knowledge are we given in schools through this system of education. The knowledge that is not solving the needs of the Ghanaian society or the one providing the answer to our needs and problems. In most articles from the few industries, there are in Ghana, always there is the complaint that the output of the universities is not technically oriented in industrial processes. Now, whose duty is it, to provide these graduates with the technical know-how demanded by the industry. On the large scale, the teacher or lecturer teaches what is demanded by the syllabi, then that means, the syllabi are the problem, not the innocent student who goes into the classroom to study what at the end becomes a burden and a waste to him since it does not meet the standard of work.
The correct information that will liberate our mind into creativity and making things happen, is not given in Ghana’s education system, but only those that will always subject us to somebody’s favour or abuse. Let’s take a look around us, you see things improving day by day in foreign countries, like China, USA, Japan, Germany and the likes, due to right information through a better system of education. How is it, that somewhere in Europe, a student uses three and half years to attain a degree, he has more information and can do better in the industry than a student who attains a degree in four years of studies in Ghana. So, are we going back or coming forward? Speaking of Ghana’s best ranking universities, it does not even meet world’s standard to even be listed among first 100 universities in the world, but what is missed will not be sort out for by our leaders, but rather, they continue to build mediocrity once in addition to it, even though there are fewer industries to absorb graduates from these institutions. The promise of progress as said by Late Kofi Annan about education is lagging in our society and families because the existing educational firms are not even equipping enough to provide the needed education.
In the nutshell, those who draw these syllabi and make educational policies have experience in the western system of education, but l don’t know why they cannot implement most relevant things from those systems in our system, and still continues to make policies that do not provide solution, but becomes burden laid on the Ghanaian youth when they choose to attain education. In my own words, education is a hobby, not a burden, so the syllabi and most teachers and lecturer in Ghana should start learning how to make it attractive to the Crying Ghanaian Youth.
Thank You.
Tetteh Harrison Agyemang
HND Mechanical engineering (KTU)
Comment: I second my brother, in the sense that, sometimes lecturers try to make the syllabus dynamic but NAPTEX does not permit them to do, so how can the lecturers teach the innovative ideas which are booming in the industries always one way, its sad.
I second you bro. Our system of education should teach us the technical aspect of the syllabus. But they only teach us the theory and ask us to do a project work which won’t benefit us. Just expressing our knowledge on paper. Instead of the project work been a project that you have developed your self or studied from someone. We will continue to be at where we are until our system of education is changed.
I agree with my brother, I think this is the time our leaders think about practical training of students but not the theory training of students to help us build our nation Ghana
Harrison abi u know what koo used to say to us in class that if u grow u will know yh it says alot