Education system must align with economic needs- CAPCOE

The Campaign Against Privatisation and Commercialization of Education (CAPCOE) has called for the alignment of Ghana's education system with the economic needs of the country. Mr. Richard Kovey, the convener of CAPCOE, stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that it was critical that the educational system become directly responsive to Ghana's economic development. Mr. Kovey said the need to have a curriculum that largely supported skilled training rather than theory could not be overemphasised, indicating that it was the only way to add value to the country's natural resources. He stressed that, just like in other countries, such as China, having skilled training would lead to the nurturing of inventors and problem solvers, not just academic scholars. He said it was not enough to train and examine students only theoretically; rather, the inclusion of practical projects to evaluate their creativity and innovation was important. He raised concerns about the education system's inability to guide and redirect children's energy towards positive ventures during their formative years. He noted that such an approach would replace the popular 'chew and pour' learning system and encourage a hands-on, practical approach to learning. The CAPCOE convener said the theoretical assessment of students had led to students relying on cheating with others, thinking they have the right to practice examination malpractices. He lamented that the situation was so worrying that students were even provided with past questions to study in a bid to pass examinations while they graduated and became 'wait-for-instructions employees.' Mr. Kovey attributed the focus on theory teaching to inadequate funding for tools and equipment for practical teaching, resulting in graduates possessing theoretical knowledge but lacking practical skills. Source: Ghana News Agency