We’re committed to modifying secondary education in Ghana – Education Ministry
Yaw Opoku Mensah, a deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, has affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to modifying the secondary education system in the country to bequeath students with a strong foundation in STEM.
In a statement to clarify media reports that there were plans to increase Senior High School education to six years, he admonished Ghanaians to give no heed to such reports as they misrepresent the position of the ministry.
He explained that “our secondary education system spans from 3 years of Junior High School, then transition to a 3-year Senior High School”.
This he reckons, is the six years of secondary education which the minister together with the ministry seeks to enhance to meet its transformational agenda of achieving the sustainable development goal (SDG 4) of the country and improving learning outcomes.
The deputy spokesperson indicated that, if the reforms are implemented as planned, it will give a true meaning to Junior Secondary Education by equipping them to have similar experience and character as a Senior Secondary School students, especially in the field of science education.
“This direction will boost the fruition of the STEM Education agenda of the Ministry,” Opoku Mensah said.
He added that the government will be providing basic school facilities such as biology, Chemistry, and Physics labs where appropriate, just like any high school facility to improve the teaching and learning environment of existing primary and Junior High Schools.
This, if accomplished, will reduce the number of Junior high Schools from 13,000 to about 2,500 in ensuring efficient distribution of other tools needed for smooth administration such as busses and official cars for headmasters, Opoku Mensah noted.
“The Ministry of Education, led by Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, seeks to give a true meaning to Junior Secondary Education by equipping them to have similar experience and character as a Senior Secondary School,” he added.
