NaCCA trains private school teachers on CCP

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) in partnership with the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has trained 200 master trainers for the Common Core Programme (CCP) under the new educational curriculum.

The objectives of the current training are to deepen the existing collaborative relationship between NaCCA and GNACOPS, help participants to understand the relevance and the need to change from the objective-based curriculum to the Standard Based curriculum as well as to help participants understand the content of the CCP Curriculum.

The CCP is a standard-based Curriculum that seeks to develop the six key competencies of learning such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the masters training session in Accra at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, the Director in charge of Pre-Tertiary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Catherine Appiah-Pinkrah said the CPP is carefully designed for learners in Basic 7 to Basic 10 (JHS 1 to SHS 1) as part of the holistic learning experience that propels them from post-secondary education, the world of work, or both.

“It focuses on building character and nurturing values, in addition to ensuring seamless progress for all learners from Junior High Schools to Senior High Schools. It also creates clear pathways for academic and career-related programmes from Basic 11 to Basic 12.”

The need for the CCP curriculum

Mrs Appiah-Pinkrah said the existing curriculum has been faulted for its emphasis on preparing learners just to pass examinations rather than to acquire knowledge adding that other challenges in the existing curriculum include content overload and the inability of the assessment system, without sufficient data, to help fashion out improvement in teaching and learning.

She added that the training teachers in the use of the CCP will go a long way to equip them with the essential knowledge skills and attitudes that will position them to develop graduates who are problem solvers and can think creatively, and have both the confidence and competence participate fully in the Ghanaian society as responsible local citizens and private school teachers are not left out.

Mrs Appiah-Pinkrah said the National Pre-Tertiary Education Curriculum Framework 2018 states that the CCP curriculum will ensure that basic school lays the solid foundation necessary for tertiary education as well as preparations for early entry into the workplace.

She said the master trainers are equipped during this 5-day training with key topics such as the National Pre-Tertiary Curriculum Framework (NPCF), skills, and competencies; as well as lesson planning, pedagogy, and assessment which are needed for the cascading training of teachers within the private schools across the country.

The Executive Director of GNACOPS, Mr Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah said the after the training by NaCCA, a selection of the certified master trainers, from the various learning areas would be sent to Asamankese in the Eastern Region to train four hundred and fifty (450) participants as a simulation exercise to broaden their understanding about the CCP.

Going forward, Mr Gyetuah indicated that after the simulation workshop, the nationwide training of all the teachers in the private schools in Ghana would take place at a convenient time considering Covid-19 data, will take place in one hundred and eighty (180) training centres created across the country.

GNACOPS, hope to train about 25,470 teachers on the CCP curriculum. These teachers will be certified and authorised to implement the CCP in private schools.

He said that GNACOPS aims to build a database of participants, which will help facilitate the continuous professional development portfolio of their members.

At the end of the five days training, participants expressed their readiness to learn and equip themselves with the concept of the CCP and to an effective fidelity of implementation in all private schools throughout Ghana.

NaCCA on behalf of the Ministry of Education used the occasion to donate books, PPE, hand sanitizer and other education materials to GNACOPs to be distributed to private schools in the country.