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• K Sarpong, Selden, New York 12 years ago

  I don't understand why they want the children to finish school so early when there are no jobs waiting for them. The more time spent in school, the better they will be in any endeavor,even if they did not study it
  in school. ...
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  I don't understand why they want the children to finish school so early when there are no jobs waiting for them. The more time spent in school, the better they will be in any endeavor,even if they did not study it
  in school. Education is no race. It will be better for all of us if we bring out well educated and mature 28year old graduates than half educated and immature 22year old graduates who still cannot write an article for a newspaper without grammatical mistakes.

  reply
• TUTUGYAGU DWENU 12 years ago

  What was wrong with the GCEs ?. Just asking please.

  What was wrong with the GCEs ?. Just asking please.

  reply
• MARCUS AMPADU 12 years ago

  Good work Mr. Agyeman for calling for the changing of Ghana's curriculum right now.
  Implicitly, our educational system is based on the unnecessary IQ testing. This belies our penchant for rushing to test our youngsters befor ...
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  Good work Mr. Agyeman for calling for the changing of Ghana's curriculum right now.
  Implicitly, our educational system is based on the unnecessary IQ testing. This belies our penchant for rushing to test our youngsters before they are ready. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence should be read by our curriculum designers before they make any attempt to come up with a new curriculum
  Then and only then should we begin to test our youngones. We need to replace the BECE
  and the WASSCE.

  reply
• francis kwarteng 12 years ago

  Hello Marcus Ampadu,
  
  Good evening.
  
  I think your idea on “multiple intelligences” is one way to go.
  
  I have mentioned Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” in my feature articles “Culture, Re ...
  read full comment

  Hello Marcus Ampadu,
  
  Good evening.
  
  I think your idea on “multiple intelligences” is one way to go.
  
  I have mentioned Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” in my feature articles “Culture, Respect, and Development (2013-09-12) and “Afrocentricity and the Future of Ghana (2013-0606).” It explains why I did not include the theory in my most recent essay “The Sociocultural Mathematics of Growth and Development.”
  
  In fact, I read Howard Garner’s two volumes on “multiple intelligences” in 2004. Gardner’s “Frames of Mind” is another good one. It predates his two influential volumes. I liked them and they have become part of my thinking since.
  
  There’s a Nigerian-American scholar (whose name I don’t recall) who has also contributed immensely to child pedagogy. He’s been ranked with Howard Gardner (and three others) as the most influential educators as far as American children are concerned. I will post it when the name comes up. We need to study them all.
  
  There is one school in America that has done extremely with “multiple intelligences” experimentation. It’s called the Ross Global Academy (or Ross School), founded by Courtney Sale Ross, widow of CEO Time Warner, Steve Ross. Mrs. Ross, a Jewess, is one of America’s richest women (Gardner himself is Jewish, I think).
  
  The school works closely with Harvard’s Howard Garner. Those interested in knowing more about the school can read Rebecca Mead’s “The New Yorker” online article “Spiralling.”
  
  Mrs. Ross’ personal secretary gave me, I believe in 2005-6, a personal C.V. copy of Dr. Kwame Anthony Appiah when she wanted to put him on the school’s board of directors.
  I personally know Mrs. Ross.
  
  I worked in a building in New York, 560 Broadway, Manhattan, which housed her office. We’ve spoken on a couple of occasions. The American mega producer Quincy Jones, producer of Michael Jackson’s first two or three albums, if I recall very well, has worked with Ross Global Academy. Indeed, not every child can be an engineer, mathematician, scientist, or technologist. As I write, I have a copy of jazz orchestra titled “Klangliga Sammankomster-Sonic Convergence: A Glimpse Into The Global Classroom.” The album was made by some of the students of the school. An excellent album.
  
  Some can sing, do acrobatics, play soccer, be good public speakers, violinists, sprinters, pianists, chefs, guitarists, etc. We need to focus our education system on a spectrum of talents, gifts. This is what is written at the back of the CD case:
  
  “The hope for the future is that we will HONOR DIVERSITY and CELEBRATE COMMONALITY—that we can find a place where we can COMMUNICATE with each other WITHOUT CONFLICT. That is the hope.” Courtney Ross-Holst.
  
  I shall do an essay on “multiple intelligences” in the futur

  reply
• MARCUS AMPADU 12 years ago

  How are you Francis? Thanks for sharing the info. on Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligences.
  What this whole discussion boils down to is that we need to do something really fast about our obsolete educational system. We c ...
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  How are you Francis? Thanks for sharing the info. on Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligences.
  What this whole discussion boils down to is that we need to do something really fast about our obsolete educational system. We can't go on tormenting our young people with standard tests like BECE & WASSCE. It doesn't make sense.
  Also take a look at Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence, if you haven't already done so.
  Peace.

  reply
• francis kwarteng 12 years ago

  Marcus,
  
  How're you doing? Thanks for the reply.
  
  I share all your views, and, like you said, the earlier we do something about our education system, the better.
  
  My fear is that these politicians who think they know ...
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  Marcus,
  
  How're you doing? Thanks for the reply.
  
  I share all your views, and, like you said, the earlier we do something about our education system, the better.
  
  My fear is that these politicians who think they know everything may not be listening. That's the saddest part of our politics.
  
  I am familiar with Goleman's work but I chose to concentrate on Gardner's because I thought his was more popular.
  
  There are sevral others though (beside the Nigerian-American) around the Massachusetts area (Harvard, mostly).
  
  I have to go through my thick library for the names and titles of their books. We shall learn more about them in due course.
  
  Thanks.

  reply
• THE GERMAN FACT 12 years ago

  GHANA DOES NOT DESERVE JOKE LEADERS LIKE AS IT IS NOW. NICE ARTICLE

  GHANA DOES NOT DESERVE JOKE LEADERS LIKE AS IT IS NOW. NICE ARTICLE

  reply
• Sabelon 12 years ago

  Nice piece good work done it true our leaders are selfish,corrupt and myopic. May God saves Ghana.

  Nice piece good work done it true our leaders are selfish,corrupt and myopic. May God saves Ghana.

  reply
• BOY KOFI 12 years ago

  NPP was wrong to prolong SHS to 4 years.Everywhere in world,students enter University or any tertiary institute at 18 years but not 19 years.If NPP wants to prolong the duration of SHS then they have to reduce one academic ye ...
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  NPP was wrong to prolong SHS to 4 years.Everywhere in world,students enter University or any tertiary institute at 18 years but not 19 years.If NPP wants to prolong the duration of SHS then they have to reduce one academic year somewhere in the primary school or JHS.Coming to the idea of Free SHS,it should go to only poor parents and not rich parents who have enough revenue to cater for their children.This is one of the reasons I have problem with our Administrators.It is imperative for govt to reach everyone living in the country to declare his annual revenue even if you are in the informal sector of the economy including strangers.Without the declaration of annual revenue,where does govt expect to collect taxes and how does govt know those qualified for social and financial assistance?I think if we want to build a Nation,we must close up all these administrative lapses and focus on Science and Technology.Technical and Vocational schools must take centre stage for training skilled workers who are susceptible in developing the country.You don't build a nation with only intellectuals.Thank you.

  reply
• francis kwarteng 12 years ago

  I think Marcus Ampadu’s idea on “multiple intelligences” is one way to go.
  
  I have mentioned Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” in my feature articles “Culture, Respect, and Development (2013 ...
  read full comment

  I think Marcus Ampadu’s idea on “multiple intelligences” is one way to go.
  
  I have mentioned Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” in my feature articles “Culture, Respect, and Development (2013-09-12) and “Afrocentricity and the Future of Ghana (2013-0606).”
  
  It explains why I did not include the theory in my most recent essay “The Sociocultural Mathematics of Growth and Development.” In fact, I read Howard Garner’s two volumes on “multiple intelligences” in 2004.
  
  Gardner’s “Frames of Mind” is another good one. It’s predates his two influential volumes. I liked them and they have become part of my thinking since.
  
  There’s a Nigerian-American scholar (whose name I don’t recall) who has also contributed immensely to child pedagogy. He’s been ranked with Howard Gardner (and three others) as the most influential educators as far as American children are concerned. I will post it when the name comes up. We need to study them all.
  
  There is one school in America that has done extremely with “multiple intelligences” experimentation. It’s called the Ross Global Academy (or Ross School), founded by Courtney Sale Ross, widow of CEO Time Warner, Steve Ross. Mrs. Ross, a Jewess, is one of America’s richest women. The school works closely with Harvard’s Howard Garner. Those interested in knowing more about the school can read Rebecca Mead’s “The New Yorker” online article “Spiralling.” Mrs. Ross’ personal secretary gave me, I believe in 2005-6, a personal C.V. copy of Dr. Kwame Anthony Appiah when she wanted to put him on the school’s board of directors.
  
  I personally know Mrs. Ross. I worked in a building in New York, 560 Broadway, Manhattan, which housed her office. We’ve spoken on a couple of occasions. The American mega producer Quincy Jones, producer of Michael Jackson’s first two or three albums, if I recall very well, has worked with Ross Global Academy. Not every child can be an engineer, mathematician, scientist, or technologies. As I write, I have a copy of jazz orchestra titled “Klangliga Sammankomster-Sonic Convergence: A Glimpse Into The Global Classroom.”
  
  Some can sing, do acrobatics, play soccer, be good public speakers, violinists, sprinters, pianists, chefs, guitarists, etc. We need to focus our education system on a spectrum of talents, gifts. This is what is written at the back of the CD case:
  
  “The hope for the future is that we will HONOR DIVERSITY and CELEBRATE COMMONALITY—that we can find a place where we can COMMUNICATE with each other WITHOUT CONFLICT. That is the hope.” Courtney Ross-Holst.
  
  I shall do an essay on “multiple intelligences” in the future.

  reply