An educationist and former president of NAGRAT, Kwame Alovi has questioned the Minister for education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum on how tamed heads and teachers can produce assertive students
Speaking in an interview with Nana Ama Nyamekye on Ahotor news, he indicated that, headmasters and teachers cannot give what they don’t have
He was responding to statements made by Dr Adutwum at the Transforming Education Summit held at United Nations General Assembly in the United States
Dr Adutwum appealed for education in Ghana to prioritize training children for being more assertive than just being respectful, he said, our kind of education will not produce critical thinkers and whiles Ghana is thinking of access to education, we must focus on quality
But speaking to Kwame Alorvi in an interview on Ahotor news with Nana Ama Nyamekye, he said, Dr Adutwum who has been a deputy minister of education for 4years and now the education minister for almost two years should know what is supposed to be done
“He was a Deputy Minister of Education for four years, and Minister of Education for almost two years now. His Ministry and GES have intimidated Headmasters, headteachers, Directors and teachers who have been tamed to become timid. They can’t speak on challenges in the education sector: time table, lack of T&L materials, no capitation grant, no food, no vacation, etc. When you talk, you are removed from office or transferred”
“How then can tamed heads and teachers produce assertive students? They can’t’t give to students what they don’t have”
Mr Alorvi explained, one major way of encouraging students to be assertive and ask questions in class is to let them have access to textbooks and other reading materials to get additional information beyond what the teacher has taught.
“Four years now into a new curriculum, textbooks have not been provided by government. So students have no means of gathering additional information beyond what the teacher has taught them to be able to be assertive and ask questions. They will continue to accept whatever the teacher has taught and will not ask questions”
He added that, Heads of various schools do not have the resources to ensure critical teaching and learning.
“ Poor feeding, no papers even to print questions or write letters, delay in payment of allowances and capitation grant etc, all negatively affect effective teaching to produce critical and assertive students”
“How is the new curriculum introduced since 2018 but with not textbooks, going to solve the Minister’s problem?” he quizzed
Story written by Nana Ama Nyamekye/Ahotoronline
