Managers of education take decisions not based on fact, research but personal views – IFEST

The Executive Director for the Institute for Education Service (IFEST), Peter Partey Anti has criticized the current managers of Ghana’s educational system.

In his view, the officials take decisions that lack facts for the sector, leading to avoidable problems

Mr Anti was speaking on the Key Points show on TV3/3FM with Dzifa Bampoh on Saturday January 22 following a directive given by the Minister of Education Dy Oasei Adutwum that the academic calendar of public schools be reverted from the semester system to the trimester system.

The dates implied that all basic schools would run a semester system, a decision which came as a surprise to major teacher unions.

Therefore, on the eve of reopening of schools across the country, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Assocaition of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concenerd teachers, Ghana (CCT-GH) and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) – forming the Unions in Education – kicked against the move citing no knowledge about the decision.

“Such a major policy change should have attracted a wide consultation and therefore find both the pronouncement and the document offensive and takes exception to them,” they had said.

On Friday, January 21, a statement issued by the Ministry of Education and signed by Press Secretary Felix Baidoo said: “After further consultation on the issue, the Honourable Minister for Education has directed that the calendar for kindergarten to Junior High School for the current academic year should revert to the Trimester system.”

As a result, the first term will run for 12 weeks from Tuesday, January 18 to Thursday, April 14.

There will be about three weeks of vacation ahead of the second term, which begins from Tuesday, May 10 till Thursday, August 18.

The final term will run from Tuesday, September 13 to Thursday, December 22.

The GES on Thursday, January 13 announced new dates for reopening of public schools from kindergarten to senior high schools.

Mr Peter OPartey Anti said “Educational Policies that issues that you need a lot of thinking through and before you try to put it out. The Educational policies, when implemented, have lasting effects on the students .

You will realize that even when it comes to curriculum reforms , the standard practice is that you have to do it within a five year period before you try to chnage a curriculm to suit the changing dynamics in society.

“You do not just get up one day and say that you feel there is a system already in place and you feel that you will want to change the system without going through the rigorous process of policy deliberations.

“It hurts so much that in a sector that holds answer to the transformation agenda of this country, a sector that we can use to develop the human capital-base of this country, we turn to resort to decisions not based on facts, not based on research nothing at all, but based on our personal beliefs and desires and and aspirations.”