Let’s save Basic Education in Ghana

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• NON ALIGNED 11 years ago

  It's about time we rethink our entire education system in our country and more importantly on our continent - AFRICA!!!
  
  Why do we continue with this brainwash education system which has kept us in the doldrums for years� ...
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  It's about time we rethink our entire education system in our country and more importantly on our continent - AFRICA!!!
  
  Why do we continue with this brainwash education system which has kept us in the doldrums for years………? All we do is to teach our children in someone else’s ‘lingo’ and expect them to be like them???
  
  Unfortunately, our understanding of ‘Education’ is all about perfecting other peoples ‘powerful tools’ (language) based on collecting knowledge without the basic understanding of its origins and values. It is basically all about aping other humans’ lifestyle, totally contrary to our cultural heritage and good traditional beliefs.
  
  Our so-called ‘Education’ system is deeply-rooted in the concept of reading books (in someone else’s languages and of their experiences totally alien to ours), memorizing them again, again and again, regurgitating them out of the ‘memory box’ (that is, if one has one) unto exam papers, get so-called good grades and eventually attain a degree/masters and forget everything after the process. Another sequence for this kind of education system is called – ‘chew’, ‘pour’, ‘pass’ and ‘forget’ – which gives no room for any form of analytical thinking that stimulates the COMMON SENSE (the gift from GOD), bestowed upon every human being.
  
  I would honestly like to seek answers to the following:
  
  What were Africans educating themselves in, in the past before English or the French languages?
  Which African language did all the scholars from all walks of life (from and beyond our continent), who achieved greatness from the first university in the world, located in Timbuktu – Mali were educated in?
  Why was there an explosion of African Civilization which stretched from the North and South of the Great Nile River before the English language?
  Why don’t we look to our past achievements to shape and secure our future as a continent, just as any other nations have done?
  Why the choice of a language IMPOSED on us by the colonialists - who had enslaved us and suppressed the minds of our people?
  Why the choice of a language, wholly alien to our African cultural heritage, good traditions and values?
  Why not an AFRICAN LANGUAGE to educate ourselves to carve up a future and a proud identity for us and OUR unborn generations?
  What have we Africans achieved……… since embarking on educating ourselves in suppressive languages that has bred inferiority complex towards the colonialists and other foreigners?
  
  Well, others may argue that, we should not re-invent the wheel that has already been created for us……….and my question is, have we ever made good use of that created wheel? If not, then why????????????
  
  Please, please, please let's challenge our minds and reach a better way forward, because history if it’s anything to go by, tells us that we are barking up the wrong tree......in the hope of being like the people we can never be like....just by aping around like them and speaking their ‘lingo’?
  
  These same people we are trying to be like, became who they are by the use of THEIR OWN ‘lingos’, correcting THEIR OWN mistakes and experiences within the confines of THEIR OWN environments and for the GOOD of THEIR OWN nations. DON’T WE GET IT????
  
  So, why then do we engage the Chinese or the Brazillians who speak no word of English to construct our roads, dams etc. for us? Don't you think there is more to it than speaking and writing in English?????
  
  GOD BLESS GHANA!
  AFRICAN FOREVER!

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• Ghanaba 11 years ago

  Good. the discourse has begun. Those intelligent minds must contribute to the public discuss Mr. Ayia has started.

  Good. the discourse has begun. Those intelligent minds must contribute to the public discuss Mr. Ayia has started.

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• Lawson Lawoetey 11 years ago

  Yes I agree with you but you know, Ghanaians are very good only at formulating ideas! You see, brilliant policies but disastrous when it comes to implementation. We make a lot of noise, spend monies on unnecessary things. we ...
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  Yes I agree with you but you know, Ghanaians are very good only at formulating ideas! You see, brilliant policies but disastrous when it comes to implementation. We make a lot of noise, spend monies on unnecessary things. we don't put our priorities right, more so some people think they are more important so they don't respect the views of the teacher. The trend now is that, instead of reasoning with the teachers they intimidate them, forgetting they are humans, they know what is going on in this country of ours! Please let us respect our teachers, give to them what is due. Until we come to this realization, let's forget it? Provide learning and teaching materials, renovate dilapidated school buildings or rebuild schools to standards, stock libraries and laboratories with computers and needed materials, train and retrain teachers and supervisors, motivate teachers well enough and let's see what happen!

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• ghanaman 11 years ago

  There has to be a national debate on education, with all levels being addressed. Previous studies, reports of committees, etc., have to be taken into consideration. Finally, a new, evolving and continuously reviewed national ...
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  There has to be a national debate on education, with all levels being addressed. Previous studies, reports of committees, etc., have to be taken into consideration. Finally, a new, evolving and continuously reviewed national education policy document must be created.

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