GES Directs Teachers To Stop Submitting Pre-Prepared Learner Plans Per The Latest Letter From The Ghana Education Service. Are We Going Back to the Handwritten Lesson Notes Era Again?
Teachers working under the Ghana Education Service have been directed to discontinue the submission and use of Pre-Prepared Learner Plans. The directive was issued by the Central Tongu District Directorate. This directive, which was communicated through a letter to staff within the district, was dated January 6, 2025.
The letter further outlined the reasons and concerns that informed the decision of the Central Tongu District Directorate of the GES. The letter, signed by Happy Tsokor, District Director for Central Tongu, asserted that the use of pre-prepared lesson plans undermines the core responsibilities of teachers, such as tailoring lesson plans to meet the specific needs and abilities of their students.
It went on to add that the practice, which has become common, continues to negatively affect the profession and the expected teaching standard in schools and classrooms within the district. According to the letter, the practice further affects the overall quality education goal. While the directive acknowledged that teachers face many challenges in their effort to prepare lesson notes on their own, it called for self-prepared learner plans, which it believes will lead to better learning outcomes. Headteachers in schools within the Central Tongu District have been directed to monitor lesson preparation by teachers and also inspect and vet weekly self-prepared lesson plans in their schools.
Teachers who act contrary to the call for the preparation of self-written lesson plans will face disciplinary action, per the letter. However, the communique did not disclose whether self-written lesson plans must be handwritten, typed, or both, which leaves a big vacuum that educators can exploit.
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All educators who have challenges with lesson preparation or matters relating to it are to contact their District Training Team and School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs) for the needed support. The Directorate reaffirmed its commitment to supporting teachers’ professional growth while upholding the highest standards of professionalism.
This policy shift aims to strengthen the delivery of education in the Central Tongu District by ensuring that lesson plans are reflective of students’ unique needs. Teachers are urged to collaborate with educational stakeholders to maintain the integrity and quality of education.
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This development underscores GES’s dedication to fostering a more robust and effective educational system in Ghana. In the coming weeks we look forward to the information from the head office of the GES on this Stop Submitting Pre-Prepared Learner Plans directive.
The Ghana Education News portal can confirm that, so many private schools have continued to use the hand written lesson palns since the last directive from the GES to heads of public schools to accept lesson plans in any form including the pre-prepared ones.