GES’ no end of term examination directive equals write exams on blackboard and don’t complain

The Ghana Education Service has directed all public schools not to write end of term examination. This directive affects KG to Basic 6 pupils nationwide. 

In the not distant past, GES issued a similar directive which led to teachers writing their end-of-term examinations on blackboards. This unfortunate decision and the subsequent pictures that emerged went viral, giving the managers of the GES and the Education Ministry bad publicity. 

This may be one of the reasons why the GES has given its directive way ahead of time and given alternative means through which teachers can access their students. 

But come to think of it, it seems the GES’ no examination directive equals write exam questions on blackboards and don’t complain.

The GES recommended the use of class exercises, class tests, and similar options to be used to assess learners.

These are exercises that teachers during their normal duties write on their black and whiteboards to examine their learners ahead of their end-of-term examinations.

The truth is this. Printed end-of-term examinations create a different mood and mindset for learners when they are preparing to take such examinations. It makes assessing learning easier and saves time whiles helping teachers and learners to avoid unnecessary stress. 

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Private Schools are writing their end-of-term examinations across the country. Learners from Nursery to JHS3 are all answering end-of-term examination questions that have been printed. However, teachers in basic schools where education is free are to write their questions on blackboards if they want to conduct any examinations at all. This time around, no public school teacher in the basic schools can complain about writing the end-of-term examination on blackboards. The old-fashioned blackboard served examination will prevail.

They have the option to use class exercises, or class tests, or any of their SBAs as end-of-term examinations.

Leaders of the Ghana Education Service, The Ministry of Education, and the government of the day must begin to examine some of these decisions that are sharp deviations from the 21st-century practices.

We have to be serious with the education of learners in public schools. Governments’ decision to make public education free is laudable, but this poorly financed Free Education at the basic school level needs to be audited. It looks more like a political game than a serious agenda.

Government must find better ways of innovating this so-called free education at the basic school level. What is wrong with parents paying a subsidized examination fee every term whiles their wards enjoy free tuition among others in public school.

Learners due to the COVID-19 did not write their end-of-term examination before the 2019 Easter breaks, and they will not this time around. Stop giving the general public poor quality education services in the name of free education. 

Resource our schools, headteachers, and teachers to ensure our learners are accessed. Per the new curriculum, learners are to be accessed every two years.

Basic 1,3, 5, JHS1, and JHS3 will not write end-of-term examinations while students in classes 2,4,6, and JHS2 will write standardized tests. When will this be implemented? 

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