Methodology by which we teach children in Ghana is archaic – educationist

A renowned educationist, Mr. Anis Haffar, is advocating radical change in the method teaching and learning at every stage of the country’s education system.

“The methodology by which we teach our children really, is archaic; this business of sitting and listening to lectures, the time is gone. I don’t see too many countries that do this kind of thing,” he said.

Mr. Haffar told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Kojo Yankson, that in progressive societies, children do not go to school to listen to teachers and copy notes.

“They say ‘sir, what are we going to do today? The emphasis is on ‘do’. What materials are we going to use today? What are we going to do with our hands and what materials are we going to use,'” are the important questions they ask, he stressed.

He was discussing the 2015 Budget statement presented to Parliament last week by Finance Minister Seth Terkper as it relates to education.

Anis Haffar said some of the projections contained in the budget were laudable but stressed the need for a complete paradigm shift in curricula of the school system.

The potential in Ghana, he said, is so great that "it is depressing that we are not bringing the best out of our children...and we all get poorer for it."

Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was also on the show, said government's plan to introduce progressively free senior high school education is on course.

Whilst admitting government has struggled to make certain critical statutory payments, Mr. Ablakwa believes the economy is shaping up well and government should be able to raise the needed revenues to fund its seemingly extravagant promises.

"In the 2015 budget, the Minister of Finance indicates that we are beginning with day students; there are currently 356,000 day students out of the 750,000 students that you have in secondary school," he stated.

The Deputy Minister explained that starting from September next year, government will spend 42.7 million Ghana cedis on the 356,000 day students for the 2015/2016 academic year.

He said the amount will cover all the approved fees that day students pay - entertainment, library, Student Representative Council, and Parent Teacher Association fees so that day students can go to school for free.