3-year SHS churning out remedial candidates – Elizabeth Ohene

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Perez 10 years ago

so the question is, how did our seniors manage to pass during the 3-year duration from the 90s till when it was reverted to 4 yrs....and comparing results, what difference did the change make....modern kids are refusing to le ...
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so the question is, how did our seniors manage to pass during the 3-year duration from the 90s till when it was reverted to 4 yrs....and comparing results, what difference did the change make....modern kids are refusing to learn in school n that's our problem as a nation.
Yaw 10 years ago

So Lizzy, why won't u make it 10yrs rather? U don't provide the necessary environment for kids to study and excel and blame it on years in school. Utter nonsense. How did I pass my SSSCE in 2.5yrs? How did the millions of GH ...
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So Lizzy, why won't u make it 10yrs rather? U don't provide the necessary environment for kids to study and excel and blame it on years in school. Utter nonsense. How did I pass my SSSCE in 2.5yrs? How did the millions of GHANAIANS pass the SSSCE in 3yrs? It's because they went to good schools and were thought like they had to be thought.

U have secondary schools with 100 students in class, where kids go and help the headmaster in his farm during break, children working on cocoa farms after school and u expect them to excel? Give me a break. Give them 1000 years and they'll fail.

Let's stop this negativity about everything and fix what's necessary. Everyone gets credit for saying something bad about the systems in Ghana, even when it holds no water nor common sense.
jaja 10 years ago

brilliant exposition Lizzy

brilliant exposition Lizzy
ahmed 10 years ago

Not to do anything about it and you think the current system is not the best for our children, where are we going as nation. We need to sacrifice otherwise we get no where. We all no that these people have ruined the country ...
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Not to do anything about it and you think the current system is not the best for our children, where are we going as nation. We need to sacrifice otherwise we get no where. We all no that these people have ruined the country so it needs to be fixed and we should do whatever it take to fix it, period.
Nii lartey Nartey. 10 years ago

The only party honestly with brilliantly intelligent and experienced human resource by all standard in the country today is NPP.

Ghanaian have suffered enough of shame and international embarrassments from the bigotries of ...
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The only party honestly with brilliantly intelligent and experienced human resource by all standard in the country today is NPP.

Ghanaian have suffered enough of shame and international embarrassments from the bigotries of Mahama led tribalist government who even believes mobile phones are the cause of power shortages to bury our ethnocentric and religious differences and vote for the best brains as Ghana deserves the likes of Elizabeth Ohenes, Bawumias and certainly not school boys like Fiffi Kwateys, Boamahs and the Ablakwas.
Marquis 10 years ago

Nii definitely correct and yet with all their brilliance they could not add to our power stock for th 8 years in power and we are wallowineg in darkness. Give us a break. Name those brilliant people in NPP one by one

Nii definitely correct and yet with all their brilliance they could not add to our power stock for th 8 years in power and we are wallowineg in darkness. Give us a break. Name those brilliant people in NPP one by one
Kofi Peprah 10 years ago

With some modifications, let's return to the GCE "o" and "A" level system. Under the previous system a holder of above average "A"-Level could be admitted straight to any university world wide. Now the SHS leaving certificat ...
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With some modifications, let's return to the GCE "o" and "A" level system. Under the previous system a holder of above average "A"-Level could be admitted straight to any university world wide. Now the SHS leaving certificate is---excuse me to say--almost junk!
Ghanaman, USA 10 years ago

The number of years of basic education doesn't correlate to success in university and thereafter.

I went through the 3-year SSS system and I was able to attend one of the best educational institutions in the world. I have ...
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The number of years of basic education doesn't correlate to success in university and thereafter.

I went through the 3-year SSS system and I was able to attend one of the best educational institutions in the world. I have been able to pursue my education to the highest possible level in my field. During my sojourn, I met and hobnobbed with students from across the world. These students also had the same 12 years of basic education. I was able to compete favorably with them. The only area I lacked knowledge in was computer technology. This is an area that we need to emphasize in our curriculum.

I attribute my success first to God and to my many teachers, who were dedicated in teaching me the basics. I had headmasters who didn't tolerate absenteeism of both teachers and students. In addition, I realize that we need to provide resources for the schools.

Making the number of years four without providing the requisite classrooms and other resources is a recipe for disaster.

We need excellent policies to be competitive on the world stage.
Omanhene(U$A) 10 years ago

Even if the senior high school (SSS) duration is shortened to "only 1 year", there're still some few very gifted and smart students, who could easily pass their exams and go onto further studies. For others, even 30 years wou ...
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Even if the senior high school (SSS) duration is shortened to "only 1 year", there're still some few very gifted and smart students, who could easily pass their exams and go onto further studies. For others, even 30 years wouldn't cut it and that's life.

However, the majority of students, who could be categorized as "average" need some doggone extra time to learn. If you went through the 3-year cycle and were able to compete among others abroad, I say congrats, but majority of the students may not be that fast like you, intellectually.

I came through the old system: O & A levels in Ghana and my university studies abroad. And, don't forget: not all the students--even the smartest ones--could go on to study at the university level, so they need the core courses to go about life to understand issues, be able to think right and clearly, able to analyze issues, read/speak & write properly, make good decisions--based on available alternatives, etc., etc.

Today's world is a huge "competitive global market place" and for our students to succeed, they must be properly educated. You were right on the "lack of resources", both material and personnel, in our sytem which serve as RED light not to mess with the duration of the school cycle. Well, as it's now, only the government can change it, but not us-- mortals. Let's wait and see, though!!
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Joe Turkey 10 years ago

The universities have been very quiet on this NDC stupidity. Some of the lecturers and administrators have been there long enough to know that the quality of this Jerry Rawlings SSS (or whatever) graduates are nowhere near th ...
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The universities have been very quiet on this NDC stupidity. Some of the lecturers and administrators have been there long enough to know that the quality of this Jerry Rawlings SSS (or whatever) graduates are nowhere near the Advanced Level graduates who entered the university several years ago. They keep quiet like Egyptian Mummies. Our educational system should never have been tampered with by soldiers, let alone the illiterate ones.

Omanhene(U$A) 10 years ago

"Which EXPERTS did these NDC knucklehead zombies contact for advice on the senior school cycle in Ghana?" Were they Ghanaians, who benefited from the O & A level system or they were foreigners, who knew less to nothing about ...
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"Which EXPERTS did these NDC knucklehead zombies contact for advice on the senior school cycle in Ghana?" Were they Ghanaians, who benefited from the O & A level system or they were foreigners, who knew less to nothing about our educational system? So, Ms. Elizabeth Ohene is damn right.

Didn't these know-nothing hooligans (the experts) know that Ghana uses Mr. BOBO's language (English) to learn, which makes it even more important for our students to have more time to study? See, English is a "subject by itself” and must be carefully mastered to be used to study other subjects, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). Just look around you and see how many MPs, Ministers, government officials, etc., have “good command” over the English language in writing and speaking?

In short, the good old system of 5-years secondary education (for O Level), 2-years sixth form (for A Level) and 4-years university education for a bachelor’s degree and later on to masters and PhD--if properly equipped intellectually. That’s a far cry from what we have today!!

As a student myself in Ghana, Europe, Canada and the United States, I’ve seen and can TESTIFY that "some of the African students" studying abroad are ill-equipped to handle rigorous academic work (even in English speaking countries), thus many new entrants being dumped into "remedial courses", as a tune-up, for actual university work.

Even why produce so many high school graduates, so quickly, while the Ghanaian economy doesn't have enough JOBS for these half-baked graduates?
SO, IT WAS, AND STILL IS, A MONUMENTAL MISTAKE TO CHANGE THE CYCLE FROM 4 TO 3 YEARS. But, what else can you expect from equally DUMB-ASS Negroes—parading as leaders????
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Yaw 10 years ago

Then why won't u make it 10yrs? U don't provide the necessary environment for kids to study and excel and blame it on years in school. Utter nonsense. How did I pass my SSSCE in 2.5yrs? How did the millions of GHANAIANS pass ...
read full comment

Then why won't u make it 10yrs? U don't provide the necessary environment for kids to study and excel and blame it on years in school. Utter nonsense. How did I pass my SSSCE in 2.5yrs? How did the millions of GHANAIANS pass the SSSCE in 3yrs? It's because they went to good schools and were thought like they had to be thought.

U have secondary schools with 100 students in class, where kids go and help the headmaster in his farm during break, children working on cocoa farms after school and u expect them to excel? Give me a break. Give them 1000 years and they'll fail. Let's stop this negativity about everything and fix what's necessary. Everyone gets credit for saying something bad about the systems in Ghana, even when it holds no water nor common sense.
Maka Meho 10 years ago

Yaw, don't expose the type of education you got in 2.5years. You don't even know the difference between "taught" and "thought" and you are claiming you passed. Even advanced countries with better resources for their students ...
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Yaw, don't expose the type of education you got in 2.5years. You don't even know the difference between "taught" and "thought" and you are claiming you passed. Even advanced countries with better resources for their students have at least four-year high school duration. Simply compare the standard of education of a former A level student to a current SSS graduate. The standards have fallen and keep falling.
DABENDA 10 years ago

To be honest, those of us who wnet through the GCE "O and A" levels see this JSS and SSS system as a thorn in the flesh. If wishes were horses, I would send all my children out of Ghana. Why did Rawlings send his send his chi ...
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To be honest, those of us who wnet through the GCE "O and A" levels see this JSS and SSS system as a thorn in the flesh. If wishes were horses, I would send all my children out of Ghana. Why did Rawlings send his send his children to the Irish schools and did not let them go through the good system he designed for Ghanaians? This is a real thorn in the flesh of Ghanaians.
Sammy 10 years ago

Maka Meho,
There is also a falsity in your purest point of argument, the claimed made by Yaw that he passed the examined should not be predicated on his level of articulating that in English writing. More so, Yaw had never ...
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Maka Meho,
There is also a falsity in your purest point of argument, the claimed made by Yaw that he passed the examined should not be predicated on his level of articulating that in English writing. More so, Yaw had never claimed he Yaw is prefect in any shape of perform. He was merely articulating his view and cannot be grudge speaking his mind. Hence your desperate attempts to discredit his argument purely on those anomalies are highly misguided and factually inaccurate. An examination of test should not be judge under one preconditioned mind since its lack objective reasoning. If you like, you can challenge my grammar as well……and to be clear I went through the same system we are talking about here and I am reading my PhD in the US.
Again, 98% of the leadership of this country went through the old system and read so called the big books yet they cannot put their thinking cap on, and diagnoses simple problem. All they do was to summersault form one radio station to another and talking incoherently like this woman is doing now. What the country needs is infrastructure of pragmatics and tutors that takes the country at heart not this insolent and lethargic individuals with watery mouth spewing their utterly nonsenses. Is there any yardstick or barometer to determine whether longevity at school actually contributes to practical thinking? Emphatically big no! Thanks
Maka Meho 10 years ago

Sammy, you failed to make any sense at all. I obtained my PhD in a prestigious university in the US several years ago. I don't think your "argument" will qualify you to take any program at my alma mater. You end up making the ...
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Sammy, you failed to make any sense at all. I obtained my PhD in a prestigious university in the US several years ago. I don't think your "argument" will qualify you to take any program at my alma mater. You end up making the contradictory statement that there is no " yardstick or barometer to determine whether longevity at school actually contributes to practical thinking". (By the way, a barometer measures air pressure). So, for example, it does not matter if students spend only two years medical school. Your piece has made my point, so I rest my case.
Sammy 10 years ago

Maka,
Have you read literature in school? I am not trying to insult your intelligent at all. But you and I knew the barometer although is used to measure pressure does not necessarily mean it has one usage.....I am sorry ...
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Maka,
Have you read literature in school? I am not trying to insult your intelligent at all. But you and I knew the barometer although is used to measure pressure does not necessarily mean it has one usage.....I am sorry but the problem with most Ghanaian educated is that the like critical and innovative thinking that is the very reason why the country is still wallowing in the state of "abysmal". I knew you are smart person but budging contributor just because the person does not think your way of thinking does not mean you should abuse the person. Your mentioned, your went to prestigious university in US with PhD, which I am not here to question your credentials in anyway, but I am just wondering if you ever use your prestigious degrees to productively contribute to the success of your organization? If yes which I doubt, can you tell me how many peoples cites your dissertation in their course works? If you are really smart and your contributions are still relevant and practical in today academic turf, then you are truly smart guy in your own right. I am waiting to hear from you.
Ghanaman 10 years ago

Are you really doing a PhD? That's curious since English you perfunctorily scribbled here doesn't befit a person actually doing a PhD. If you dare me, I will correct and post here the errors you've made in this rather short s ...
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Are you really doing a PhD? That's curious since English you perfunctorily scribbled here doesn't befit a person actually doing a PhD. If you dare me, I will correct and post here the errors you've made in this rather short script. And I don't even have my bachelors! Just shut up!
Sammy 10 years ago

Hello,
With all your stupid and nonsense degrees you claimed you had, have you ever used it to benefit society and your country?. Stupid fools like you who claimed you are learned makes a mockery of the very institution your ...
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Hello,
With all your stupid and nonsense degrees you claimed you had, have you ever used it to benefit society and your country?. Stupid fools like you who claimed you are learned makes a mockery of the very institution your claimed you went. Who care's if you can correct someone grammar or not. One thing for sure, I am practically smart in solving real world problems than you do. I dare you idiot to correct and I also dare you to point to one solid achievement you have made in your life time. Moron like you are quick to prove your intelligent online. Come again...
Ghanaman 10 years ago

" It's because they went to good schools and were thought like they had to be thought."

THOUGHT? TAUGHT!!! That's it, folks! Everything is wrong in Ghana's education. In class four in the mid 70s, I was given hot lashes fo ...
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" It's because they went to good schools and were thought like they had to be thought."

THOUGHT? TAUGHT!!! That's it, folks! Everything is wrong in Ghana's education. In class four in the mid 70s, I was given hot lashes for scoring 9 out of 10 in dictation - words in isolation.

NOTE: Rawlings shouldn't have changed the OLD system because Komla Dzobo enticed him to this crazy JSS shit. Remember Fundamental English Course, Practical English Course, Reader's Digest, and all the great books we had before?
I know guys who just did Middle Form 4 and had Middle School leaving Certificate. Those guys are still way better than the current SSS students, and I mean what I say.

Maka Meho 10 years ago

Real education back then. Thanks for reminding me of the excellent books we read and studied those days. Include Blue Books 1 & 2 and Red Book. JSS-SSS is a joke.

Real education back then. Thanks for reminding me of the excellent books we read and studied those days. Include Blue Books 1 & 2 and Red Book. JSS-SSS is a joke.
Ghanaman 10 years ago

Yeah! I think of those times past and always feel nostalgic about how there was emphasis on reading and arithmetic.

Actually, I read Great Expectations, Kidnapped, Treasure Island, Tom Thumb, The Arabian Nights, Jane Eyre ...
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Yeah! I think of those times past and always feel nostalgic about how there was emphasis on reading and arithmetic.

Actually, I read Great Expectations, Kidnapped, Treasure Island, Tom Thumb, The Arabian Nights, Jane Eyre, Gulliver's Travel and a lot more in in the Primary School. By the time I went to the Middle School, I knew about most of those classic books.

Those were great years of real education where teachers had respect and wore black and white.
Nana Takraboadua ll 10 years ago

Yaw nothing shows u passed ur exams considering the kind of English u posted.

Yaw nothing shows u passed ur exams considering the kind of English u posted.
gibt Romane 10 years ago

This system produced very goo students , they majority of which were very old because they spent more time doing remedial. Who can challenge the fact that at a point in time , only a maximum of 30,000 student could make it to ...
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This system produced very goo students , they majority of which were very old because they spent more time doing remedial. Who can challenge the fact that at a point in time , only a maximum of 30,000 student could make it to a levels but only about 2000 of them could get university admission?. The most important thing to do is to provide quality education to the JHS level and students can assimilate faster. Have you heard that about 300 students applied for Medical schools with six A's? Think twice.
NASH 10 years ago

The truth is that, the NPP has mess up our educationaL system.That is what I expected madam Ohene to admit. How could youi implement such a system without other things that come to play. There were no classrooms, teachers and ...
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The truth is that, the NPP has mess up our educationaL system.That is what I expected madam Ohene to admit. How could youi implement such a system without other things that come to play. There were no classrooms, teachers and lots of things. Madam, come on. Your administration has mess up the educational system. AS to whther the three three years is enough, is still debatable. My children did the three years and have all passed neatly and are all in the university.No matter the duration of time. If the right things are not in place, the problems will persist.Ghana needs a complete overhaul anyway.
CHRIS JASPER CHAIRM,AN 10 years ago

To me it is inappropriate for the former minister of education to come out this way and with a statement that lacks credibility. Why? She may be right though but she must prove it. I am of the view that the main problem stude ...
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To me it is inappropriate for the former minister of education to come out this way and with a statement that lacks credibility. Why? She may be right though but she must prove it. I am of the view that the main problem student failures and remedial classes is purely a psychologiccal and bad management of schools and students by the authorities involved otherwise the understanding that stakeholder get from how education to be run......
Kwasi Kramer 10 years ago

Skin pain Elizabeth Ohene. Disappointed MP for Ho West

Skin pain Elizabeth Ohene. Disappointed MP for Ho West
Kwame 10 years ago

What Elizabeth Ohene is saying is just like saying that a burnt food is the best of foods. A serious private candidate takes one year to read and pass the SHS certificate examination. It takes five years to train a medical of ...
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What Elizabeth Ohene is saying is just like saying that a burnt food is the best of foods. A serious private candidate takes one year to read and pass the SHS certificate examination. It takes five years to train a medical officer in Lebanon and it takes six years to train the same. It means that we do not look at the cost and time of training a medical officer.

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3-year SHS churning out remedial candidates – Elizabeth Ohene

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