If you think the National Maths and Science Quiz is a Ghanaian thing for Senior High Schools, then you are totally wrong. The NSMQ has a global appeal and many followings from other countries in and outside Africa who want to carbon copy it.
The 2021 NSMQ Finalists Dubai Fiasco saw our gallant science and Mathematics winners and finalists fail to put together a dummy of the digestive system.
Right at the BECE, you can see the annoying theory-based examination handed to our students. Take Basic Design and Technology which has Pre Technical Skills, Home Economics and Visual Arts as options. Consider the ICT examination at the BECE and the Integrated Science practicals. These are subjects that require students to be examined using their practical know-how, but instead, they write answers to practical questions and draw tools and related objects. Are we serious in this country?
Our readers including Amoateng Enock are of the view that these students are exceptionally brilliant ones who can excel in any international educational competition and that the task given to them was highly unreasonable. Being asked to fix a dummy digestive system in 10 seconds is like being asked to fix a dismantled wristwatch in 9 seconds. You can’t use this wrong assessment procedure to grade them. Amoateng Enock added.
The outcome of that activity is a blessing in disguise because Ghanaians for the first time are collective of the view that our hailed Chew and Pour Pass and Forget education system needs to be shelved.
A commentator recounted his days in SHS and said, “I was in school, I was able to give 10 definitions at least and 10 maths formulas at a go. Nowadays, children don’t take education seriously. This is typically what our schools teach us all and more, so they prepare us for examinations and competitions but not to understand the practical knowledge behind the concepts.
What is the problem with Ghana’s education system?
Ghana’s Education System is totally theoretical for all subjects and fields, from Basic School to University, including Technical Institutions. We have great Syllabus, but the teaching delivery is very poor when t comes to the practical aspect of the courses and programme. And the funny thing is, they are frustrating Private Institutions that are trying to change the status quo with accreditation issues.
Suggestions on how to make our education system more practical than theory-based
The 2021 NSMQ Finalists Dubai Fiasco is a Blessing to Ghana because Ghanaians are coming out to make novel suggestions. Some of the suggestions are…
Let’s try to work to improve and update our systems instead of attacking it.”
Our education must train students with new skills needed for the world of work.
Introduce STEM education across all levels starting from the Pre-tertiary education level.
Make education in Ghana more practical-based and less theoretical.
The ideas and suggestions this poor show has generated can turn our fortunes around if manning Ghana’s education ship would listen to the masses.
Kenneth Kojo Ntena Tawiah, one of the fertile brains that reacted to the publication, revealed that The World Economic Forum report on new skills for the workplace is changing, yet Ghana is still instructing learners in the same old manner.
“When you analyze Ghanaian students on the basis of critical thinking, innovation, data analysis, leadership, solution-oriented, problem-solving and general or global world-view, you’d find out that we’re really lacking. The World Economic Forum report on the new skills for the world of work is changing, and we’re still training students the same way.” He said.
Again, according to Tawiah, Ghana’s current education systems are not tailored even to meet SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
He went to ask three thought-provoking questions…
1. How many of our NSMQ students since the competition began have patents for any discovery?
2. What is the track record of innovation championed by these people?
3. How many of these fine brains would be leading critical sectors in STEM and bringing transformation.?
He concluded that as a country, we are not dealing with the above, rather we’re just excited about quizzes and tests which really do not shift the needle. Currently,” The Asian tigers are training their kids to lead industries. We need to rethink…” He said.
In addition to that, Amsa Mohd also offered some useful thoughts on the ongoing debate generated by the 2021 NSMQ Finalists Dubai Fiasco.
He was of the view that we may all have our own views about education, but our opinions may not be necessarily accurate. He furthered that many Ghanaian students excel academically in Europe, America, and Asia, but they went through the same system being poorly evaluated in the write-up.
However, he could not understand why the absence of practicals can be the reason why these WASSCE graduates who have excelled in could not fix the dummy digestive system correctly.
“Assuming those students had not done any practical work on the digestive system, haven’t they seen a labelled diagram of it? Any serious student of Biology at their level should be able to arrange a human digestive system without a sweat.”
Truth be told, some of the people who criticize our education system have no idea how other systems operate. I have compared the Indo-Pakistan system, the British GCSE and IGCSE and the Irish Leaving Certificate system and observed that the syllabuses are similar in terms of contents in many subjects. Let’s try to work to improve and update our systems instead of attacking it”.
Again, the sad reality is that the masses have brilliant ideas which the political leaders lack but the political leaders control the resources and where it goes but do not have the ideas.
It is time to form a proactive and forward-looking synergy that makes good use of these ideas and resources.
We need to change the narrative about education in Ghana and this 2021 NSMQ Finalists Dubai Fiasco must be the right pedestal to launch the new thinking and direction for education in Ghana.
Enough of the chewing and pouring. Let us change the story now.