When we recite our national anthem, we ask God to bless our homeland and make our nation great and strong.
God, in His mercies, has blessed us in diverse capacities to become the strong country we have always prayed to be.
However, you and I would agree we are not as strong as we hope to be. This means that, aside from our prayers, we have some work to do. Education is one of the strongest pillars of every great nation.
As we strive to be great, we need to invest a lot more in our education system to be able to produce world-class critical thinkers who would help make our nation stronger.
Based on my experiences of studying in the United States (US) for six years, I would like to provide some form of assessment of our education system.
The education systems of the US and Ghana are obviously not the same due to cultural and logistical reasons.
The US has made some great strides we must admit. However, when I came to the US in 2016, I was marveled at the number of Ghanaians I saw on campus.
Guess what? Ghanaians kept keeping every year and they still come in their numbers up to date.
Interestingly, you would hear most of these Ghanaians denigrating our education system. When I hear them criticizing our education system, I ask them one question.
Why would a top academic institution in the US admit so many students from Ghana if our education system is that “bad”?
I have always argued that our education system is not as “bad” as some people portray it. Of course, I agree we have work to do.
We can definitely make it better. If we would depoliticize our education system, invest properly in it, and admit top candidates into our teacher training colleges, we would be a force to reckon with.
If even in its “bad” state, Ghana is able to produce these many students I see in top institutions, imagine if we pushed a little bit more.
I am in no way condoning mediocre. I have taught in elementary schools in the US and the teachers in these schools have at least a bachelor’s degree; master’s and Ph.D. holders are teaching elementary school students.
Can you imagine? The US invests a lot in basic education because they believe in laying the right foundation.
Surprisingly, I have sat in education classes with Americans and you should hear how they criticize their education system. It’s interesting, isn’t it? What should this tell us? There is always room for improvement everywhere.
We are not where we want to be, but with the right attitude and mentality, we will be amazed at what we would be able to achieve as a country. Let’s borrow what we can from the “good” education systems around the world and make them culturally specific.
Let’s provide the highest form of training for our pre-service teachers. Let’s invest more in our education.
Once we start putting such measures in place, our education system will be a beacon for Africa.
Latest Stories
-
Daniel Otting Awuah elected SRC President of Ghana School of Law
16 mins -
Lawrence Ati-Zigi signs St. Gallen contract extension
20 mins -
We should be careful not to destroy our institutions without just cause – Serebour Quaicoe
29 mins -
Cecilia Dapaah’s case: EOCO hasn’t requested for FBI report – Office of the Special Prosecutor
2 hours -
Andre Ayew scores 5th league goal as Le Havre beat Strasbourg
3 hours -
Ejisu by-election: NPP didn’t sanction money distribution to voters – Richard Ahiagbah
3 hours -
Ghana Health Service opens vacancies for 204 doctors, 25 dentists
3 hours -
Domestic tourism on the rebound with 1.4m visits to attraction sites in 2023 – GTA
4 hours -
Government working hard to complete Tema General Hospital project – Dr Okoe Boye
4 hours -
Ipswich Town seal Premier League promotion after 22 years absence
4 hours -
Accord journalists the respect due them – Opare Gyan
4 hours -
EPL: Arsenal beat Bournemouth to go four points clear of Man City
4 hours -
Cecilia Dapaah’s case: What’s happening now is a clear indication of cover-up – Amaliba
4 hours -
I felt rejected by Ghanaians – AY Poyoo
4 hours -
Terrorist cell of five Daesh supporters dismantled in Essaouira
5 hours