I strongly believe it complements my work on "Dr. Kofi Dompere On Nkumah's Scientific Thinking Series" series in parts.
What is ... read full comment
Dear Brother Kwesi,
Excellent work.
This is a loaded piece with useful information.
I strongly believe it complements my work on "Dr. Kofi Dompere On Nkumah's Scientific Thinking Series" series in parts.
What is more, it definitely will inform Part 6 of the series. Very timely!
Thanks.
Tekonline.org 9 years ago
Great write-up, Kwesi.
Just one trivial point of correction: Albert Einstein was not associated and never taught at Princeton University, although in May 1921 he delivered five Stafford Little Lectures on the theory of rel ... read full comment
Great write-up, Kwesi.
Just one trivial point of correction: Albert Einstein was not associated and never taught at Princeton University, although in May 1921 he delivered five Stafford Little Lectures on the theory of relativity at the university and in 1921 accepted an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the university.
He rather was at the Institute for Advanced Study (in the town of Princeton). IAS is where most of the top brains in the world gather for various intellectual pursuits. Most are Nobel laureates or world-renowned scholars and the pursuits are not limited to science but include history and music.
The institute has been the home of the world's greatest scholars including also Noam Chomsky, Paul Dirac, Freeman J. Dyson, Kurt Gödel, J. Robert Oppenheimer, John von Neumann, Frank Wilczek, and Edward Witten.
francis kwarteng 9 years ago
Dear Tekonline.org,
Where have you been all this while?
Anyway, the Institute of Advanced Study refused Dr. David Blackwell there, recallling that Dr. Blackwell was one of the world's leading statisticians at the time. ... read full comment
Dear Tekonline.org,
Where have you been all this while?
Anyway, the Institute of Advanced Study refused Dr. David Blackwell there, recallling that Dr. Blackwell was one of the world's leading statisticians at the time.
Thanks.
Tekonline.org 9 years ago
Warm Greetings, Francis.
IAS like all things involving humans is not free of politics and mystery. But as Einstein said, “if you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.”
Incidentally Pr ... read full comment
Warm Greetings, Francis.
IAS like all things involving humans is not free of politics and mystery. But as Einstein said, “if you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.”
Incidentally Prof Allotey's PhD supervisor, John Archibald Wheeler, was also one of the lucky few to be at IAS. At the same time, Prof Wheeler was a faculty member at Princeton University.
A great theoretical physicist, Wheeler was the one who coined the term "black hole". He was a young contemporary of Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, and became the driving force in the development of both the atomic and hydrogen bombs as well as the father of modern general relativity. He helped launch the careers of many prominent modern theoretical physicists, among them the late Nobel laureate Richard Feynman and of course, our own Francis Kwesi Ampenyin Allotey.
francis kwarteng 9 years ago
Dear Brother,
Good to hear from you again. Thanks for the response.
I have always appreciated the great mind of Archibald Wheeler, even more of Richard Feynman.
I remember reading about his work on the Manhattan Pr ... read full comment
Dear Brother,
Good to hear from you again. Thanks for the response.
I have always appreciated the great mind of Archibald Wheeler, even more of Richard Feynman.
I remember reading about his work on the Manhattan Project with Albert Einstein, Lloyd Quarterman, Robert J. Omohundro, Harold Delany, Julius R. Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi,Ralph Gardner-Chavis, George W. Reed, Jr., etc. Neils Bohr is "physics" on its own.
However, it's Richard Feynman's facsinating work leading to his Nobel Prize in Physics (with Sin-Itiro Tomonaga/Julian Schwinger) that I still vividly remember.
I recall one of my New York-based Jewish friends (he worked for Ms. Courtney Ross, ex-wife of the late Steven J. Ross, co-founders of Ross Institue). Ms. Ross Courtney had an office in 560 Broadway where I worked as a security guard.
The topic of Richard Fenmann came up one day when my friend and I discussed the work of the famed neurobilogist/neuroscientist, Dr. Antonio Damasio, whose works "Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Felling Brain" and "Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain," shed light on the mind-body problem, as previously undertaken by the 17th-century French mathematician and philospher, Rene Decartes, and later by the 17th-century Jewish philosopher and pantheist, Baruch Spinoza.
To make a long story short my Jewish friend lent me a book by Richard Feynmann in 2005-06 (he also lent me Dr. Antonio Damasio's book "Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain") whose title I don't presently recall.
Feynman described the philosophical ideas behind the mathematical formulation that led him directly to the Nobel Committee. I think, if I remember correctly, he swirled a plate he had just eaten from in the open air and then later conceptually formulated a mathematical model to describe the swirling movement of the plate in the open air.
He later linked the swirling plate's pictorial conceptualization and its mathematical formulation to the behavior of subatomic particles. And that was it, the Nobel Prize in Physics.
This particular book in question also discusses the work of Neils Bohr, Max Born, Wolfgang Pauli, Albert Einstein, Max Plank, David Hilbert, Erwin Schrodinger, Paul Dirac, among others. In fact Richard Feynman's photographic memory was legendary.
Again, as for Archibald Wheeler he's equally legendary, so is Prof. Francis Allotey. For instance, the Italian-based "The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)" lists Prof. Allotey as one of the 20th century's most influential scientists.
ou should read the Center's book "One Hundred Reasons To Be A Scientist." Here is the link (PDF) to the book:
users.ictp.it/~pub_off/books/100_reasons.pdf
Unfortunately, historical scholarship on physics in the last century Albert Einstein has cast serious doubt on his originality. Here are a few books you may want to see:
1) "Albert Einstein: The Incorrigible Plagiarist" (Author: Christopher Jon Bjerkes)
2) "Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius" (Author: Hans C. Ohanian)
3) "Einstein: Life and Times (Author: Ronald W. Clark).
You may also want to check this out, an essay "Einstein: From Icon To Con-man" by Dr. Chandra Kant Raju. Dr. Raju received the 2010 Telesio-Galilei Academy of Science Award for pointing out a grevious theoretical/mathematical mistake Einstein has committed and which has esacped the scientific world for decades. He then developed the appropriate matematical tools to solve the problem. Here is the link to Dr. Chandra Kant Raju's essay:
ckraju.net/misc/Einstein.html#mistake1
Moreover, Dr. Raju is one of the world's respected authoriTIes on Albert Einstein, as well as one of its leaders in the fields of mathematics, computer science, physics (and history).
He contributed immensely to the construction of India's first super comper PARAM. Paul Dirac gave him some accolades prior to his passing.
Fortunately, I also had the opportunity to privately discuss Einstein's work with Dr. Chandra Kant Raju in 2010. He's Dr. Molefi Kete Asante's close friend. Dr. Asante introduced him to me. Please do check out his scholary works on physics (science in general) and mathematics.
Finally, you may also want to check out Walter Isaacson's "Einstein: His Life and Universe," which is the latest biography, I believe, on Einstein, a book I read in 2008. Isaacson also authored "Steve Jobs" and "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life."
Thanks.
francis kwarteng 9 years ago
Hello Tekonline.org,
I just remembered this and decided to share it with you.
I strongly believe John von Newmann may have wanted to assist David Blackwell at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) but politics at th ... read full comment
Hello Tekonline.org,
I just remembered this and decided to share it with you.
I strongly believe John von Newmann may have wanted to assist David Blackwell at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) but politics at the time prevented him from overtly doing so.
In fact, I did recall reading this controversial matter somewhere, probably in one of those pieces written by the mathematician Dr. Jonathan Farley, but cannot as yet put my finger on the source.
I shall look for it and share it with you at another time. Thanks for your constructive constributions on this forum.
I do believe Prof. Kwesi Atta Sakyi appreciates them.
Have a great week, Tekonline.org.
Kojo Billy Duncan 9 years ago
This is an educative piece worth studying further. Moreover, it seriously advocates what I refer to as "broad spectrum" education. I am proud to declare that I benefited from the system of the early 60s, under Nkrumah. Our le ... read full comment
This is an educative piece worth studying further. Moreover, it seriously advocates what I refer to as "broad spectrum" education. I am proud to declare that I benefited from the system of the early 60s, under Nkrumah. Our learning environment then was what produced science students who excelled in French, history, music and English. The experience inculcated the desire and tendency to continue to explore and apply my knowledge of science , mathematics, history and other languages in my every day (now retirement) life. I love what the system of education you are advocating has done for me and in my own small way I am trying to encourage it in my community.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Hi Kojo, I am happy for your warm rejoinder, and to learn that you share my views. Thanks a lot. Ghana only needs the best, and we can make it happen if we collectively put our shoulders to the wheel.
Hi Kojo, I am happy for your warm rejoinder, and to learn that you share my views. Thanks a lot. Ghana only needs the best, and we can make it happen if we collectively put our shoulders to the wheel.
Nanasei 9 years ago
Thanks Kwasi, for this brilliant piece! You claim that Ghana only needs the best, and I have no problem with that. My worry is that, How can a nation such as Ghana proper in a current situation where there's not a single pers ... read full comment
Thanks Kwasi, for this brilliant piece! You claim that Ghana only needs the best, and I have no problem with that. My worry is that, How can a nation such as Ghana proper in a current situation where there's not a single person in leadership who is an "Independent thinker"? You are talking about about Prof Allotey and Albert Einstein. These were independent thinkers, not 'dummies' who just wanted to feel their "bellies" through curruption. Just a take a look of what just happeed in Brazil inspite of all the nearly 54 GFA and Ministry of Sports official? Where was the leadership? Whhat about the action of the president of Ghana who decided not to fire the leadership but to promote them to new posts? Too sad for Ghana! I don't think our kids have any future to compete with the developed world, just as we have been failed by our leaders who have been into politics since independence. Look at the youth in Ghana now? there's no hope!Ghana is a joke! What do you think?
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Nanasei, thank you for your interesting and passionate feedback. Have you heard of the J-CURVE in Economics? It depicts the phenomenon of getting worse before it gets better. Just like a patient in the emergency ward who gets ... read full comment
Nanasei, thank you for your interesting and passionate feedback. Have you heard of the J-CURVE in Economics? It depicts the phenomenon of getting worse before it gets better. Just like a patient in the emergency ward who gets worse before he gets better. Do not lose hope because some nations have gone to worse situations than us before. UK, USA, Russia, Turkey, you name it. Eventually, we shall turn the corner and come out of the woods, because for every age and time, God provides a saviour, sage , seer and redeemer. Nil desperandum. Never despair.
AGYEI 9 years ago
I DONT THINK WE CAN WAIT ON GOD.
WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE AND CHART THE COURSE OF OUR OWN DESTINY.
I DONT THINK WE CAN WAIT ON GOD.
WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE AND CHART THE COURSE OF OUR OWN DESTINY.
Nanasei. 9 years ago
Kwesi,
When was UK, USA etc. in the worst form you are using as examples? Kwesi, you MUST be for real, ok? The world has moved from the hunting and age, then to agrarian society, manufacturing and industrialization, and now ... read full comment
Kwesi,
When was UK, USA etc. in the worst form you are using as examples? Kwesi, you MUST be for real, ok? The world has moved from the hunting and age, then to agrarian society, manufacturing and industrialization, and now we are in THE 21st CENTURY HIGH TECH WORLD, ok? Some even call it ENGINEERING AGE! Now, you tell me, if you can't even "think above and beyond " to pass the common agricultural age, how possible can you suddenly fly high all the way to the "high tech world"? Seriously???
Remember, the J-Curve in Economics you are talking about doesn't hold in our case. It has conditions that must be met and also limitations or exceptions, right?
My point is that unless Ghana gets at least 200 "independent thinkers" in political leadership, who do NOT HAVE NO INTEREST IN MILKING THE NATION TILL DEATH, things will never ever get better. There must be some signs today that, things are on the right path to be able to be certain of tomorrow! Look, the west developed through SCIENCE, NOT RELIGION, and you know that! I can guarantee you that Ghana will never get any better when about 99% of our current dummy leaders' objective is greed, create, loot and share, materialism, selfishness, and get rich at all cost as a political leader, and corruption seen by the society now as a "norm".
Finally, unless our leaders are made TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND INACTIONS, Kwesi, we're just a joke! Is punishing thieves who loot the state's coffers a rocket science or some difficult high technology to figure out? Why? It tells you the way we think and where are are heading to. I'm not a "prophet of doom", however, I believe in science and technology, and believe in numbers as well. Right now, nothing, and I mean NOTHING SUGGESTS that things will get worst before it gets better. Let's not full ourselves, please! We need all the good and "thinking Ghanaians" to rise up now! We cannot afford to let these "fools" continue to screw us up just like that. It looks as if Ghana has no thinking leaders, why, why? Why??
Thanks.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Nanasei, Before USA got independence in 1776, they were under colonial rule of the British. They had long marches to the West and fought wildcat wars for oilfields, fought from 1861 to 1865 to end slavery. In 1929, the Great ... read full comment
Nanasei, Before USA got independence in 1776, they were under colonial rule of the British. They had long marches to the West and fought wildcat wars for oilfields, fought from 1861 to 1865 to end slavery. In 1929, the Great Depression hit and they suffered terribly. Russia had the worst Tsarist regime till the Great October Revolution in 1917. France overthreqw monarchy in the French Revolution of 1789. UK fought many civil wars such as the 30 years war, War of Roses, Oliver Cromwell's Republican Revolution around 1690s,etc. Are you a student of History? We have seen nothing in Ghana. The law of natural consequences of things will straighten out things. Everything which goes up comes down.
Nanasei. 9 years ago
Hahaha, now you are being funny! before USA got independence, what were we doing in Africa? Your kids will ask you one day that " Daddy during the 21st century Tech world, what were you doing in Africa? " I wonder what answe ... read full comment
Hahaha, now you are being funny! before USA got independence, what were we doing in Africa? Your kids will ask you one day that " Daddy during the 21st century Tech world, what were you doing in Africa? " I wonder what answer you gonna give him or her! It will be very interesting answer indeed! Please, let's not behave like ostriches, ok? Until Africans admit that there's something wrong with our thinking, the way we do things and something wrong with our leadership, and then turns things around, the history you asked me to read, will never change. We'll continue to be thirsty in the abundance of water! Now a homework for you: apart from population which African ranks 2nd to Asia, which continent ranks number one in all other resources? Also which continent is the poorest economically? Once you get the answer, ask yourself why? Good luck!
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Thanks Techonline. I am aware of all that and have written to IAS before with some of my work. I appreciate the elucidation though. I wanted to simplify matters a bit.
Thanks Techonline. I am aware of all that and have written to IAS before with some of my work. I appreciate the elucidation though. I wanted to simplify matters a bit.
Tekonline.org 9 years ago
Interestingly Einstein, by his own account, was greatly influenced by reading the works of the Scottish philosopher David Hume.
Not surprisingly Einstein valued more the manner of thinking more than mere acquisition of kn ... read full comment
Interestingly Einstein, by his own account, was greatly influenced by reading the works of the Scottish philosopher David Hume.
Not surprisingly Einstein valued more the manner of thinking more than mere acquisition of knowledge. One of his famous quotes was: the essence of a man is what he thinks and how he thinks, and not what he does.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Hi Bro, I am always encouraged by your positive feedbacks and I love our collaboration. Keep firing on and I shall always back you.
Hi Bro, I am always encouraged by your positive feedbacks and I love our collaboration. Keep firing on and I shall always back you.
francis kwarteng 9 years ago
Dear Brother Kwesi,
Again your work is simply beautiful. Mathematics/science is our future. We need a vigorous intellectual revolution in our education system to make this happen.
Interestingly, this has formed the ph ... read full comment
Dear Brother Kwesi,
Again your work is simply beautiful. Mathematics/science is our future. We need a vigorous intellectual revolution in our education system to make this happen.
Interestingly, this has formed the philosphical foundation of the scholarly works of Drs. Kofi Kissi Dompere, Molefi Kete Asante, Kwame Botwe-Asamoah, Kwame Nkrumah, Paulo Freire, WEB Du Bois, etc. Your essay indeed says us a lot about what we lack as a people.
I also think Tekonline.org's observations are in order. I have fired off a comment to him "To Tekonline.org $ Richard Feynman." I hope you take a look at it.
Thanks.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Thanks Francis, I have read all the comments and thank you all for the wonderful feedback which is food for thought. I want to use this write up as a seminal idea to provoke discourse and to draw attention to the felt need fo ... read full comment
Thanks Francis, I have read all the comments and thank you all for the wonderful feedback which is food for thought. I want to use this write up as a seminal idea to provoke discourse and to draw attention to the felt need for reform in our struggling education system.
francis kwarteng 9 years ago
Dear friends,
Brother Kwesi, I think Kojo Billy Duncan raises another interesting point, that of the didactic question of "multiple intelligences" with heavy emphaisis on science and mathematics.
I believe we need to c ... read full comment
Dear friends,
Brother Kwesi, I think Kojo Billy Duncan raises another interesting point, that of the didactic question of "multiple intelligences" with heavy emphaisis on science and mathematics.
I believe we need to consider that as we advocate radical overhauling of Africa's educational system where we give science, mathematics, and technology topmost priority.
At least 50 years of "independence" has given us useful clues as to where the liberal arts (humanities/social sciences) stand in the political development of Africa's development.
Let's take note.
Thanks.
USMAN 9 years ago
Mr Kwesi Atta Sakyi, thanks for this eye opener and I hope our local academicians will read this piece.It is great to note that a whole Albert Einstein, the father of modern physics, never went to university. It is also inte ... read full comment
Mr Kwesi Atta Sakyi, thanks for this eye opener and I hope our local academicians will read this piece.It is great to note that a whole Albert Einstein, the father of modern physics, never went to university. It is also interesting to note that Prof Francis Allotey has no first degree. You could now see that our local educational system is monotonous. Uncle Kwesi Atta what is your view of this scenario. Kofi and Kwami attended the same secondary school and after their graduation Kofi scored aggregate 9 whiles Kwami had aggregate 10 in their WASSCE Exams. Kwami went to the university to read history whiles Kofi had interest in Automobile Engineering at Kumasi Polytechnic since automobile engineering in Ghana is only offered at the HND level in Ghana. After graduation both of them were posted to the GES for their National service. After their National Service the GES was bent on retaining the duo to be employed as teachers in a deprived community. They all agreed to serve Mother Ghana in that capacity. Whiles Kwami was put on Level 15, Kofi was put on Level 11 and the salary difference in relative terms is Kwami's salary is twice more than Kofi's salary. The two are nonprofessional teachers. The painful aspect is that when Kofi got applied for admission to the university he was asked to start from Level 100. Now, is Kofi a fool for opting for technical education.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
Usman, your problem posed is a conundrum
or riddle or puzzle and a big poser. Kofi who opted for HND was not a fool but rather a victim of our warped educational system which can douse and kill an Einstein in the bud. We nee ... read full comment
Usman, your problem posed is a conundrum
or riddle or puzzle and a big poser. Kofi who opted for HND was not a fool but rather a victim of our warped educational system which can douse and kill an Einstein in the bud. We need to reverse all this nonsense and appreciate technical education. Germany is a country which recognises and places heavy premium on practicum. The great salary differentials between Kofi and Kwami show our priorities which are not in sync with modern market dictates. My two sons did HND, one at T Poly, and the other at Accra Poly. They topped up with degrees at Cape Vars in Accounts and Lab Tech. What is important in life is to do what you enjoy best and follow your dream, and get job satisfaction. If you follow the vocational or technical way, plan to establish yourself as independent entrepreneur and you will be better off. Those who design our salary structures and scales are all people who are academically-inclined and biased towards academics. I think HND and a first degree should be put at par because a degree is broader whislt an HND is narrow but highly specialised.
Kojo T 9 years ago
Kofi is a professional in his field , and that is where he should be . I did that with cousin Nick who then joined agriculture with his HND . He was better paid
Kofi is a professional in his field , and that is where he should be . I did that with cousin Nick who then joined agriculture with his HND . He was better paid
LAK, Tema 9 years ago
Mr. Sakyi, while I admire your well-researched effort aimed at dissecting our problems in math and science education – towards streamlining possible models to make them appropriate for our national development – I think t ... read full comment
Mr. Sakyi, while I admire your well-researched effort aimed at dissecting our problems in math and science education – towards streamlining possible models to make them appropriate for our national development – I think that you are still harping on what you perceive as academic excellence, which is not much different from what is now prevailing. Indeed, the way forward should be a radical transformation from the current educational structure in Ghana, and by extension in Africa. I am sorry, but even if your views may seem progressive, I still consider them as outmoded! Do realize that we are now living in the era of information overload, and no young mind, including your adult brain should be stressed to acquire and reproduce knowledge in examination conditions. Yes, information on any topic is now readily available; I can search for any topic on Wikipedia or Google up any information an on my laptop, tablet or smartphone. Why should anyone be made to learn any fact, if all of these are easily available by the click of a finger? We should rather encourage problem solving approaches with available information. So, let us even the playing field for all; that is, provide every kid or student with an internet ready laptop, tablet or smartphone. Make the internet available everywhere, through wifi, or wide area networks in educational institutions. Let each student ‘eat’ the information/knowledge to his/her taste and desire; wifi ready tablets can be obtained for about 50 USDollars (much cheaper than textbooks on various subjects). For a new policy, invite teachers and professionals to individually or in groups prepare e-books on various subjects appropriate for our circumstances, and make these available on the internet for all students of every level. It would then be best to just mentor the students in the fields of their interest (and ability), plus an on-the-job attachment to areas where professionals are already utilizing the skills; let these professionals assess the skills and progress of the students for needed improvements. By this new arrangement, there would be no more need for ‘chew, pour, pass and forget’ examinations. I hope I am not alone in this view for the eventual takeoff of our technological emergence.
OKOE 9 years ago
YOU SAW AND GOT TO KNOW SOMETHINGS DUE TO YOUR EXPOSURE
TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS THAT YOU WILL WISH TO BE ADOPTED IN GHANA. MY OBSERVATION ISTHAT EDUCATION IS BECOMING A MEANS OF ACQUIRING WEALTH AND NOT FOR IMPACTING KNOWLEDGE ... read full comment
YOU SAW AND GOT TO KNOW SOMETHINGS DUE TO YOUR EXPOSURE
TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS THAT YOU WILL WISH TO BE ADOPTED IN GHANA. MY OBSERVATION ISTHAT EDUCATION IS BECOMING A MEANS OF ACQUIRING WEALTH AND NOT FOR IMPACTING KNOWLEDGE TO STUDENTS. YOU QUOTED EXTENSIVELY ON PAST THINKERS AND TEACHERS BUT WHERE ONE CAN FIND OUT THESE EDUCATIONISTS TO READ ABOUT THEIR WORKS WILL BE FAR FETCHED. THEY SAID A SOUND MIND MIGHT RESIDE IN A SOUND BODY BUT PLACES PLANNED FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES WERE BOUGHT BY WELL KNOWN ELITE AND POLITICIANS AND TURNED THEM INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. TAKE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA THEY HAVE TURNED THAT INSTITUTION INTO A POLITICAL ARENA AND AGITATION. MOST SCHOOLS ABROAD TRY TO LET THEIR STUDENTS TAKE THIS IB EXAMS BUT NOT IN GHANA. THERE ARE SO MANY CHANGES BEING MADE IN THE GHANAIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT INSTEAD OF IMPROVING THEM USUALLY MAKE THINGS WORSE. INSTEAD OF TUTORS MAKING THE EDUCATIONAL CHANGES, POLITICIANS GOT INVOLVED DUE TO MONEY THEY WOULD MAKE AND THEREBY MESS UP EVERYTHING. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY OF OUR OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN MAKING DECISIONS IN EDUCATION IN GHANA WILL TAKE ON YOUR SUGGESTIONS. LIBRARIES ARE ABSENT IN MANY SCHOOLS, AS SUCH, MANY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR OR READ ABOUT THESE GREAT THINKERS YOU WROTE ABOUT. WILL GHANA LISTEN!!!
Kwesi 9 years ago
First, welcome back. It's been a long time we saw you here but we know you haven't forgotten us.
Now that Paa Kwesi Minta is not here, let me see if I can imitate him - oh no, I won't be as hard hitting as he is. I just d ... read full comment
First, welcome back. It's been a long time we saw you here but we know you haven't forgotten us.
Now that Paa Kwesi Minta is not here, let me see if I can imitate him - oh no, I won't be as hard hitting as he is. I just don't have what it takes. PKM is in a class of his own...
1. It is really by accident that most of the early achievers you mentioned came from religious backgrounds. Religion was an integral part of life and society at that time. Everybody was a Christian and people who didn't believe in God were in the exception. People whose scientific findings clashed with the prevailing religious beliefs were in big trouble and often had to hide it. So religious background, per se, was no motivator of scientific scholarship. So you may rather say those guys achieved a lot DESPITE the religious inhibitions of the time.
2. "Had Einstein lived all his life in Germany or in Switzerland, he would perhaps not have made much impact on the world."
He probably still would have made it. The guy was so brilliant he would have distinguished himself almost anywhere. His work that got him the Nobel Prize was not done in the US. At the time he moved to the US, that country was great but not as great as it would be well after the War. Einstein went to the US in 1933 when he has already made his mark. The paper that lay behind his general theory of relativity was published in 1916 and had nothing to do with his stay in the US.
3. Yes, we need discipline and the inculcation of moral values in our students. But these do not have to be predicated on religious values imparted by missionaries. Religion is not the only basis of morality. It is not even, necessarily, the right one.
4. "empirical evidence evinces the fact that all human beings are equally endowed with creative genius at birth...," Are you sure? All human beings may be endowed with genius but there is no evidence that they are EQUALLY so endowed. In fact this cannot even be proved.
5. Your emphasis on the religious basis of scholarly achievement is wrong. Russians and Chinese also do well academically when they move to the US but they have no religious upbringing. Most Indians don't really take their religion seriously. Religious upbringing certainly imparts some qualities but it is neither necessary nor sufficient for the acquisition of those qualities.
6. Kwesi, you seem to be confused as to the importance of the subjects that your paper is about. You are also trying to tell us that we should not forget the teaching of social sciences, and then also English language, and then also the Classics. So which subjects should we NOT emphasize? The issue is that we should prioritise the teaching of Science and Mathematics over EVERY OTHER SUBJECT! You can't make this point and still say that we should not forget the other subjects. It is the relative importance that we place on the various subjects that is the issue. Today, there are too many people studying the Humanities and the Classics in Ghana and too few people studying Science and Maths. That ratio MUST change. You can't have it both ways... I guess you made that point only because you are, yourself, not a Science/Maths man and feel for your area of study...
7. You talked of Indian education as if it is a homogenised unit. It is not. Most Indian universities are among THE WORST in the world. Most Indian engineering graduates are completely unemployable and others have to be retrained extensively to be of any use. Then Indian has a few technological academies that ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE WORLD! That is where the best of the work is done and it is from those institutes that the brainy ones who do so well in the US come from. There are about 100,000 Indian students in the USA at any one time. Those super brilliant ones we hear of are just the topmost. The rest are as ordinary as most people in the world.
7. You seem to have faith in psychotherapy especially of the psycho-dynamic type. I wonder if you are aware of current scholarship in that field.
8. CONCLUSION: I don't think you have really delivered on your topic of how to improve the delivery of science and maths in our lower level schools. The question is not whether or not these subjects are important. It is how actually to tip the balance of education in favour of these two subjects. I don't see how that can be achieved after reading your paper. Do not forget that the education authorities in Ghana have ALWAYS been aware of this problem. It is not that they don't know. They have been trying but they have still not succeeded. WHY? That's the question!
General comments: This paper is too long and well beyond the league of many ghanawebers. You could have cut it down considerably and given us the main points. These would have attracted more readers. As it is now, it is only francis kwarteng and tekonline.org who are contributing. Tekonline.org is always interested in science subjects and always makes informed comments to such topics on ghanaweb. Often his comments are better than the articles they are contributing to. As for francis kwarteng, when you mention anything about a brilliant Ghanaian in the US, he is going to pounce on the topic to enable him talk about his beloved Molefi Asante and his other pet concerns. That alone is enough to let him UNCRITICALLY praise your work.
But Kwesi Atta, where is your contreman Paa Kwesi Mintah? He has been missing for a long time from this forum. Some of us just miss his incisive and detailed criticisms of his "hated" writers. He was great - the type who is out there to find real faults rather than heap shallow praises...
But welcome back to ghanaweb. Hope you don't wait that long to make for it by giving us another Long Essay...
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 9 years ago
I thank you so much Kwesi for your input. You make me remember Cousin PKM who has gone AWOL. You make very good points but I stand by what I write. This is the kind of intellectual intercourse I engender and enjoy. Keep it up ... read full comment
I thank you so much Kwesi for your input. You make me remember Cousin PKM who has gone AWOL. You make very good points but I stand by what I write. This is the kind of intellectual intercourse I engender and enjoy. Keep it up. Ekushe kupo. Omo daadaani Eshe gonn ni. Adupe. Alafia ni. Owa! Shesh3 oti po ju!
Dear Brother Kwesi,
Excellent work.
This is a loaded piece with useful information.
I strongly believe it complements my work on "Dr. Kofi Dompere On Nkumah's Scientific Thinking Series" series in parts.
What is ...
read full comment
Great write-up, Kwesi.
Just one trivial point of correction: Albert Einstein was not associated and never taught at Princeton University, although in May 1921 he delivered five Stafford Little Lectures on the theory of rel ...
read full comment
Dear Tekonline.org,
Where have you been all this while?
Anyway, the Institute of Advanced Study refused Dr. David Blackwell there, recallling that Dr. Blackwell was one of the world's leading statisticians at the time. ...
read full comment
Warm Greetings, Francis.
IAS like all things involving humans is not free of politics and mystery. But as Einstein said, “if you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.”
Incidentally Pr ...
read full comment
Dear Brother,
Good to hear from you again. Thanks for the response.
I have always appreciated the great mind of Archibald Wheeler, even more of Richard Feynman.
I remember reading about his work on the Manhattan Pr ...
read full comment
Hello Tekonline.org,
I just remembered this and decided to share it with you.
I strongly believe John von Newmann may have wanted to assist David Blackwell at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) but politics at th ...
read full comment
This is an educative piece worth studying further. Moreover, it seriously advocates what I refer to as "broad spectrum" education. I am proud to declare that I benefited from the system of the early 60s, under Nkrumah. Our le ...
read full comment
Hi Kojo, I am happy for your warm rejoinder, and to learn that you share my views. Thanks a lot. Ghana only needs the best, and we can make it happen if we collectively put our shoulders to the wheel.
Thanks Kwasi, for this brilliant piece! You claim that Ghana only needs the best, and I have no problem with that. My worry is that, How can a nation such as Ghana proper in a current situation where there's not a single pers ...
read full comment
Nanasei, thank you for your interesting and passionate feedback. Have you heard of the J-CURVE in Economics? It depicts the phenomenon of getting worse before it gets better. Just like a patient in the emergency ward who gets ...
read full comment
I DONT THINK WE CAN WAIT ON GOD.
WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE AND CHART THE COURSE OF OUR OWN DESTINY.
Kwesi,
When was UK, USA etc. in the worst form you are using as examples? Kwesi, you MUST be for real, ok? The world has moved from the hunting and age, then to agrarian society, manufacturing and industrialization, and now ...
read full comment
Nanasei, Before USA got independence in 1776, they were under colonial rule of the British. They had long marches to the West and fought wildcat wars for oilfields, fought from 1861 to 1865 to end slavery. In 1929, the Great ...
read full comment
Hahaha, now you are being funny! before USA got independence, what were we doing in Africa? Your kids will ask you one day that " Daddy during the 21st century Tech world, what were you doing in Africa? " I wonder what answe ...
read full comment
Thanks Techonline. I am aware of all that and have written to IAS before with some of my work. I appreciate the elucidation though. I wanted to simplify matters a bit.
Interestingly Einstein, by his own account, was greatly influenced by reading the works of the Scottish philosopher David Hume.
Not surprisingly Einstein valued more the manner of thinking more than mere acquisition of kn ...
read full comment
Hi Bro, I am always encouraged by your positive feedbacks and I love our collaboration. Keep firing on and I shall always back you.
Dear Brother Kwesi,
Again your work is simply beautiful. Mathematics/science is our future. We need a vigorous intellectual revolution in our education system to make this happen.
Interestingly, this has formed the ph ...
read full comment
Thanks Francis, I have read all the comments and thank you all for the wonderful feedback which is food for thought. I want to use this write up as a seminal idea to provoke discourse and to draw attention to the felt need fo ...
read full comment
Dear friends,
Brother Kwesi, I think Kojo Billy Duncan raises another interesting point, that of the didactic question of "multiple intelligences" with heavy emphaisis on science and mathematics.
I believe we need to c ...
read full comment
Mr Kwesi Atta Sakyi, thanks for this eye opener and I hope our local academicians will read this piece.It is great to note that a whole Albert Einstein, the father of modern physics, never went to university. It is also inte ...
read full comment
Usman, your problem posed is a conundrum
or riddle or puzzle and a big poser. Kofi who opted for HND was not a fool but rather a victim of our warped educational system which can douse and kill an Einstein in the bud. We nee ...
read full comment
Kofi is a professional in his field , and that is where he should be . I did that with cousin Nick who then joined agriculture with his HND . He was better paid
Mr. Sakyi, while I admire your well-researched effort aimed at dissecting our problems in math and science education – towards streamlining possible models to make them appropriate for our national development – I think t ...
read full comment
YOU SAW AND GOT TO KNOW SOMETHINGS DUE TO YOUR EXPOSURE
TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS THAT YOU WILL WISH TO BE ADOPTED IN GHANA. MY OBSERVATION ISTHAT EDUCATION IS BECOMING A MEANS OF ACQUIRING WEALTH AND NOT FOR IMPACTING KNOWLEDGE ...
read full comment
First, welcome back. It's been a long time we saw you here but we know you haven't forgotten us.
Now that Paa Kwesi Minta is not here, let me see if I can imitate him - oh no, I won't be as hard hitting as he is. I just d ...
read full comment
I thank you so much Kwesi for your input. You make me remember Cousin PKM who has gone AWOL. You make very good points but I stand by what I write. This is the kind of intellectual intercourse I engender and enjoy. Keep it up ...
read full comment