Former GES boss questions why basic schools are burdened with 9 subjects

A former director of the Ghana Education Service is questioning the basis of imposing nine subjects on children at the basic school level.

Speaking on 3FM’s SUNRISE morning show Tuesday, Mr. Michael Nsowah wondered why the children at such tender ages are burdened with many subjects, adding it’s an indication that we don’t care about the welfare and overall development of children.

“Why should children at a tender age be made to write exams in nine subjects? Check any country and their progression from basic to secondary school, we seem not to care about the demands were making on school children, therefore, they do not get enough time to develop and obtain a solid foundation in critical areas that are necessary for them to improve their learning,” he said.

Interestingly, under his watch as the Director General of the Ghana Education Service, pupils were made to study and write examination on not less than nine subjects, which he thinks was wrong.

He further argues that those in decision making positions today were examined in 3 three subjects adding that those in the developed countries have progressed with fewer subjects.

Michael Nsowah backed five subjects for the basic level as recommended by the Professor Anamoah-Mensah-led committee on educational reforms of 2002.

He maintains that all the proposals had been worked on and accepted by a government white paper but blamed the non implementation on the change of government.

“We constituted panels for the four year programme after the Professor Anamoah-Mensah Report in 2007; we held many consultations with stakeholders. The syllabus that was designed and accepted by the government white paper was not implemented because of a change of government. We proposed mathematics, English language, general science, social science, and Ghanaian language.”