Ghana’s New Educational Reforms: 10 Things You Don’t Know

Ghan’s New Educational Reform is on,  and education in Ghana is seeing some policy changes. The Curriculum for the Pre-tertiary level has been changed.

Thus in the introduction of a new curriculum for KG1-Basic schools and the recent new Common Core Curriculum for JHS1-SHS1 to be implemented in the 2021 academic year.

The Public University Bill still on the drawing table for consideration for the tertiary level. When it becomes an act passed by Parliament, it will change the face of tertiary education in Ghana.

New Educational Reforms for Basic Schools

Currently, the new KG to SHS levels have been initiated. and the New Educational Reform has the following top changes:

1. Kindergarten, primary school and JHS are described as basic schools.

JHS 1, 2, 3, and SHS 1 shall now be referred to as BS 7, 8, 9, and 10, respectively, i.e., SHS 1 shall now be called BS 9.

The students who pass the BECE in 2024 will be enrolled in SHS1 but will continue to study the basic 10 curriculum which is the final level of their JHS curriculum. They will be in SHS1 but will learn JHS topics under the common core programme.

New Educational Reforms for JHS

2. All students in JHS 1–SHS 1 shall run a common core programme called CCP, which comprises nine subjects: math, languages, science, RME (stand-alone subject), physical and health education (not examinable), career technology, social studies, computing, and creative art and design.

3. A new form of examination called the National Standard Assessment Test (NSAT) shall be conducted at Primary 2, 4, 6, and JHS 2.

4. BECE shall be replaced by placement exams at JHS 3 to enroll students in SHS 1.

5. Students in SHS1 shall continue to run the common core programme for one year; thus, students in SHS1 shall not select science, business, or arts programmes.

6. At the end of SHS1, students shall write a Common Core Exam for SHS 2.

7. At SHS 2, students will now have to select either a career-related programme that includes vocational and technical programmes or high school diploma programmes such as science, business, and others.

8. This means senior high school students will commence learning elective subjects in SHS 2.

9. Wassce will be replaced by a university entrance exam at SHS3 as a transition examination into tertiary institutions.

10. Students after successful completion of SHS 3 will be rewarded with a diploma certificate instead of the WASSCE certificate currently awarded by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

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It is anticipated that,

1. The education system will consist more of research, community engagement, and projects with fewer contents.

2. Computer literacy is one of the major foci of this programme, as all educational stakeholders must be in a good position to provide adequate I.T. facilities for students.

3. Science at the basic level comprises physical and applied science, which involves more demonstrative features. It is sectioned into the following:

Diversity of matter

Cycle

System

Forces and Energy

Humans and Environment

It is then necessary for all educational heads to recruit more skilled and qualified science personnel to run the programme, as fewer concepts in the SHS syllabus have been pushed down to prepare students for their electives in SHS 2.