Leader and Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Dramani Mahama has said his next administration will set up a panel of experts to conduct a thorough assessment of the current curriculum and make recommendations on the way forward with the view to improving standards.
He said assessment of the current curriculum will also address distortions and bridge the quality gap between public and private basic schools.
Speaking at the Launch of NDC 2020 manifesto, Mr. Mahama said, when given the node, his next NDC Government will:
# expands and refurbishes educational facilities to make them fit for 21st century education
# provide all eligible children especially those in under-served areas, with the necessary support and incentives to remain in school,
# increase budgetary allocation to basic education to enhance teaching and learning activities
# provide pre-school facilities closer to markets, ministries and city centres to ease the burden of child-care on mothers and promote productivity while the children learn
# encourage the private sector to invest in pre-schools and recreational facilities for their workers
# ensure quality learning through the allocation of teachers, improved pedagogy, appropriate learning spaces, provision of teaching and learning materials and effective supervision, and motivation and support of teachers
# expunge Comprehensive Sexuality Education from the school curriculum
# create opportunities for early visual and audio screening of pupils to detect and support children with special needs
# create opportunities for out of school children to receive education while encouraging the application of the right entry age to school
# raise levels of numeracy, literacy, self-esteem and responsible citizenship by extending opportunities to market women, commercial drivers, labourers and head porters ‘kayayei’ through an extended Complementary Basic Education based on more flexible school hours
# Increase engagement with schools through community (regional and district offices, traditional and religious leaders, unions, among others) commitment and more efficient use of existing structures
# embark on a rapid roll-out of modern technological learning tools (including blended learning and IoTs) to transform the scope and nature of education at this level acknowledging challenges exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic
# restores Arabic studies which have been taken out of the new curriculum by the NPP, and proceed to recruit Arabic teachers, thereby, lifting the current ban.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
