The Ministry of Education has sought to clarify some comments made by Mathew Opoku Prempeh, suggesting that University education will be reduced from four (4) to three (3), and also Junior and Senior High School graduates will be awarded diploma certificates, saying the Minister's remarks have been misconstrued.
Hon Opoku Prempeh, speaking at the 2019 Danquah Institute Leadership lecture under the theme: “World Class Education and Imperative for the Next Generation of Leaders,” is reported to have indicated that there are plans to upgrade the Senior High School certificate into a National Diploma certificate which can allow graduates gain employment after completion of their programmes.
“The curriculum that will appear for the Junior High School will lead to a National Higher Diploma, [and] when you finish Senior High School, you get a National Diploma. It is not everybody who must go to the University straight, but we must prepare our kids for the world of work,” he is reported to have said.
Apart from that, he added, government intends to reduce the duration for pursuing undergraduate degree programmes which is 4 years to 3.
But a statement signed by Vincent Attafuah, PRO of the Education Ministry, said the comments were ‘taken out of context’.
According to him, "the Minister did not state that Junior High School graduates would be awarded a diploma. Indeed, given the government’s commitment to redefining basic education to include senior high school, in respect of which the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill is in Parliament, it is inconceivable that the Minister would suggest that Junior High School graduates would be awarded diplomas or any other certification to enable them seek work."
“Indeed, the Minister referred to the fact that prior to the 1987 reforms that saw the shift from the ‘A’ level to the Senior High School system, an undergraduate degree was three years, similar to and that in the case of the University of Ghana in particular, the first year was non-scoring, referred to as First University Examinations (FUE).
"The Minister in his speech sought to trigger a national dialogue to potentially reconsider reverting to this undergraduate model, on the basis of a much improved and more robust Senior High School curriculum so that students can be adequately prepared for a three-year undergraduate programme," the statement read.
The statement further noted that, Napo as the minister is popularly called, “mooted the idea of a national diploma for all SHS leavers, which will enable them to go into work, with those desiring to enter university then going on the write the WASSCE in order to do so. It will be noted that in the USA, all high school leavers gain a national diploma to enable them go into work, with the SAT examinations being a further requisite for those seeking to enter university.”
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
So this does it mean that everything that the current administration touch has turned into a curse?????? I don't really blame them,why because; 1.You see their children and families will go outside to get educated and so they don't care what policies they make. 2.They think they are not well educated and so they can just decide on any ***barred word*** for us. Even if they like they reduce the time to 3month, award kindergarten with degree
The politicians have been toying with our educational system for far too long. Since 1987 that politicians started to meddle with our educational system, they still have not gotten a new system that works. If they don't know what to do they should leave the system we have alone. It is sad that the politicians have been politicizing with education system this long. So sad.
I sincerely think this minister of Education (Napo) is suffering from Bipolar Disorder 1. He doesn't stop amazing me about his utterances,his actions and policies. Anytime he speaks, the ministry have to issue a statement to clarify what he says.
He Can go ahead to give the SHS a Doctorate Degree for all we Care. Very soon, University Education will Last for only 6 Months. Ahhhhba. So is there no one in Ghana to inform this NAPO that, All His Policies are Dead and Un-Reason-able and Non-Sensically Unacceptable. Hmmm....Very soon, Double track or Thripple Track or Diploma for University 3 years will be scrapped by Some Reason.able People.
So who and or what is pushing Napo to say all these things. I think in my view,that man is talking too much. is it that he has been given a position he is not fit to occupy? Is he an example of a square peg in a round hole? Left to me alone,I think the President should replace him. I stand corrected though, but i think I'm yet to hear Napo say anything positive about teachers since he took this position. Why has he refused to see all the good works teachers are doing but always focuses on the few negatives? Why is this minister trying to shift every students failure to only the teacher when the government, parents, the child and the community at large all have their parts to play.Because of this free SHS thing, every child now has the opportunity to go to school irrespective of their grades they get in the BECE. You give the teacher a very dull child,the teacher cannot punish the child for any reason including anything that stops the child from learning, meaning the teacher has lost some control over the child, on top of it the government is not even supplying the teacher with the needed materials and motivation. The teacher tries his best to make the serious students in the class to pass and later he will be queried as to why all of them didn't pass. Hmmmmm. sometimes I feel like saying I'm regretting being a teacher.
Common sanitation facilities you cannot provide and you're opening your mouth promising diplomas.
Pls ignore this news Ghanaians. My Napo will not think this way