Dr. George Mawusi Afeti, Chairman of the Governing Council of E.P University College, Ho, has proposed that rather than simply administering examinations, student assessments should be geared at discovering abilities.
He said assessing students through examination was the simplest and least time-consuming technique to evaluate learners as they go from one level to another.
Dr Afeti said this in Accra during this year’s 10th public lecture of the Baraka Policy Institute, a social policy think tank.
The lecture was on the topic “Reflections on the State of Education in Ghana: Diagnosis and Way Forward.”
Dr. Afeti described the country’s educational assessment system as a “tyranny of exams,” saying, “If you are a learner and do not pass an exam, you are not promoted and relegated to the peripheral.
He called for a holistic approach to address gaps in student assessment for best possible outcomes.
Dr. Afeti said the country’s educational system must be structured in terms of quality, relevance, and skills to be fit for purpose and fit industry requirements.
That, he emphasized, was important because many students had graduated but were unable to find work.
Dr. Afeti stressed the need to involve industry actors in the development of curriculum to bridge the gap between academia and the country’s enterprises.
He advocated for more investment in technical and vocational training institutes, as well as teacher capacity building, to ensure that mandates are efficiently delivered.
Dr. Afeti asked for an overhaul of educational teaching modules, pushing for a practice-oriented teaching method that would enable students to solve societal challenges.
“We need to expose teachers to abroad to upgrade their knowledge and skills and impart the knowledge to real-time situations in the classroom,” he said.
Dr Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member, Education Committee of Parliament, underscored the need of reorienting the country’s focus towards technical and vocational education.
He also advocated for improved conditions of service for teachers, particularly in rural areas, to motivate them to give their best.
Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister of Education, said the government had made progress in improving learning through the introduction of the National Standardised Test in 2021 for primary four pupils, 54 percent of whom were proficient in reading and learning.
He said that the introduction of the free Senior High School resulted in an increase in enrolment for more than one million students.
Mr. Anis Haffar, an educationist, emphasised the need of focusing on students’ cognitive abilities to unlock their creative potential.
Naa Alhassan Andani, Board Chairman of BPI, said that since its inception in 2014, the Institute had worked to better the lives and overall well-being of the poor in society.
He said the Institute had conducted nationwide research on students who bet, among others, which had influenced national policy and decision-making.
Mr. Salem Kalmoni, President of the BPI, said that the Institute, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, pushed for the adoption of the National Alcohol Legislation in 2017, advocating for its immediate passage.
