Recuse Yourself As An Education Minister Before You Close Down Non-Performing Schools — Gibson Okai Attakorah Writes To Dr. Yaw Adutwum.
Education in its simple terms means helping people to do things and support them to think about what they learn. Education also refers to the process of teaching and developing knowledge. Education to some extent, may influence the behavior of an individual but does not change what he/she is naturally endowed with.
Inspite of education, we remain different individuals.
The education Minister, Dr Yaw ADUTWUM, at a meeting with CHASS in Kumasi, made an emphatic announcement that public schools which are underperforming will be closed down.
The minister of education seems to be at a loss based on his pronouncement. Training of an individual to become a useful and productive in the society does not end with getting good grades in wassce alone.
Also, getting good grades in WASSCE does not start with an individual entering SHTS. It starts with the first day the individual enters the kindergarten and it continues through the basic school education.
Students who fail in WASSCE are compounded with various challenges which should not be blame solely on CHASS, Teachers and students but also on the government.
There’s an adage that says ‘charity begins at home’. Therefore, passing WASSCE starts from the basic school. Dr, what’s the current state of our basic schools interms of classroom infrastructure, furniture, textbooks etc? What about their financial stance? Has capitation grant been paid to the fullest? How could a school Head execute minor repairs on the school infrastructure and get other teaching and leaning materials when capitation grant is in arrears?
With the onset of the FSHS, all the attention of the government has been shifted towards the senior high schools. Budgetary allocation for the SHSs has increased whilst that of the basic school keeps dwindling and even in arrears.
The Minister should also know that facilities in the various SHS/SHTS are not the same.
SHS have been categorized in A, B an C.
Facilities in category A schools are not the same as in B and C. Students who gain admissions into category A, B and C are not with the same grades and the same economic background.
If all facilities are not provided to make teaching and learning conducive, the minister should not think of closing down non performing schools. In other words, is the minister telling the heads of non performing schools to “magically” let their students pass?
Is the minister encouraging CHEATING during examination?
The minister of education, Dr Yaw ADUTWUM, should resign first before closing down non performing schools because he and his ministry are underperforming interms of logistics that will make education run smoothly.
Written By: OKAI ATTAKORAH GIBSON (Former NDC constituency secretary for Ejura Sekyedumase) 0249388866/0209078056
