Technical University Issues: Focus on Academic & Intellectual Development

The Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) has given the Government an ultimatum – constitute governing councils for the technical universities or students will boycott lectures. The Minority in parliament has also jumped on Government’s case regarding same. It is true that the absence of councils puts the institutions in operational disadvantage to a certain extent, but all stakeholders must focus on academic and intellectual development only, and as far as those issues affect the preparedness of the polytechnic/technical university student for industry.

When he was launching the technical university programme in September 2016 in Takoradi, the former president. Mr. John Mahamah, rightly explained that grammar education had helped the Ghanaian learner up to an extent, but the dynamics of society required that we focused on competency-based education, which would equip the contemporary Ghanaian student for industry. As such, all stakeholders must consider the issues of technical universities vis-à-vis that objective:

The fact that GNUPS is bargaining with lectures indicates that the absence of the councils has not halted the main business of the institutions, teaching and learning. Academic Boards are the ultimate bodies on the campuses; they have a high level of autonomy, though some decisions must be ratified by the councils. Additionally, the interim status of the various administrative machineries offers them mandate to operate to a large extent. The legitimacy of the academic boards and their management is evidenced by the fact that activities for the 2017/2018 Academic Year have begun, even without the governing councils’ ratification. Therefore, we must focus on the obstacles to the smooth running of the Academic Calendar.

A year into the conversion, both Minority and GNUPS must question our preparedness for the competency-based curriculum, the ultimate goal of the conversion. Elsewhere, institutions are investing in learners through small class numbers, ideally, a teacher:student ratio of 1:15 up to 1:25, which allows a generous room for one-on-one teacher-student interaction and student nurturing. The small numbers enable teachers to give appreciable attention to students, in and out of the classroom. In our polytechnic and technical university campuses, large class numbers have been a major obstacle to competency-based education; hitherto, it was impossible for one teacher to interact frequently with 60, 70, 80 100 or even 120 students within the semester. Even systematic tutorials were hardly possible in such situations. Most teachers tried to work through group activities, which do not completely augur well for competency training.

A year after the conversion, has the situation changed? The minority and GNUPS should pursue that question. Are current ratio ideal for competency-based training? Whilst doing that, they should impress upon the institutions to commence tracer studies in order to determine what percentage of polytechnic graduates are unemployed or are employed in areas completely irrelevant to their study areas. Opinions of industry should be sought regarding the quality of materials polytechnic institutions have been turning out over the years.

One reason for GNUPS’ appreciation for the change in status is that they become university graduates, instead of polytechnic graduates. However, to a very large extent, the Ghanaian employer has a very unsophisticated perception of the polytechnic student, largely through ignorance. To what extent has that perception been reversed by the conversion? Is it the conversion, or competency which comes through acquisition and application of dynamic knowledge, which will change societal and industrial perception?

Globally, even traditional universities are forging for industrial experience for teachers and learners in order to address the challenge of employment mismatch. What is the trend on our polytechnic and technical university campuses? How often do teachers get exposed to the realities of industry through attachment? What is the currency of the knowledge imparted by teachers who hardly get industrial exposure?  What is the ratio of theory:practice in the classrooms? Does GNUPS even know? Currently, hands-on-training is on downward trend, and that is a major concern.

What is the situation with monitoring and evaluation of the various training activities engaged in by the institutions? How effectively does quality assurance feature in the teaching and learning processes? What effective Guidance and Counselling systems are featured to nurture students’ potential, address their fears and complexes and make them assertive individuals? What premium do the institutions place on real knowledge acquisition? These are some of the pertinent questions that make or break tertiary institutions. Has technical university status helped to address some of these issues for the institutions? GNUPS and the Minority should be interested.

Merely constituting governing councils will not automatically address all the impediments. Indeed, it is not just a matter of constituting governing council; they must be real savvy about the global technical university concept, and how the nation can localise the existing ones to address community and national needs? We do not need rubber stamp councils; we need proactive agencies that can offer current dynamic academic and professional suggestions to enhance competency-based training. Above all, the governing councils must have the knowledge to identify current unprofessional/unacademic practices, possess the guts to change such for best practices. So come again, Minority in Parliament, GNUPS. It is not time for ultimatum; it is time to strive for quality competency-based education and training. Let us collaborate with the Government to champion the cause of quality.

Technical Universities in Retrospect

Recently, two voices of concern have been raised about the yet to be constituted council for recently converted technical universities. Whilst the first voice, belonging to one Mr. Foster Owusu, took the alarmist route, crying that the Government was hedging in order to revert the statuses of the universities to polytechnics, that of the former Ghana Association of Polytechnic Administrators (GAPA) was conciliatory, stating that the absence of council was hampering the smooth administration of the institutions. It also pleaded with Government to equip the technical universities with the appropriate teaching/learning infrastructure. Despite the differences, both voices struck deep chords.

GAPA’s plea is also a strong indicator that in the conversion process, the cart was placed before the horse. In other words, the change was not motivated by intellectual and human resource development for nation, as it ought to have been in an academic exercise. It was rather political-oriented. The Committee that was set up to draw the roadmap and recommend timelines highlighted the weaknesses of the polytechnic system, the biggest of which was poor investment. When it compared Technical/Vocational Education in Germany to that of Ghana, it was revealed that the latter hardly invested in learners, which was evident from the poor infrastructure and generally weak educational system and outcomes. 

In view of the constraints, the committee recommended gradual conversion, beginning from September 2016. In reality, it ought to have recommended a 5-10 year roadmap through which the nation could have prioritised technical/vocational education, equip technical institutions with current teaching /learning infrastructure in order to attract academic elements into the polytechnics. Above all, the institutions could have used the time to strengthen its intellectual activities and be equipped for the high-powered level research which is the hallmark of technical universities. Since the polytechnics were prematurely converted to technical universities, they assumed the new status with all bag and baggage.

The fact is that the polytechnic system was never really understood by a greater majority of its stakeholders in Ghana. A small minority of real technical elements like the retired Mr. Kofi Kumah-Aidoo, who superbly nurtured three Ghanaian polytechnics, did justice to the concept of hands-on training. The others just contributed to watering down practical training. Worse of all, the polytechnics are generally placed a step below the universities by those who do not know the difference, with the consequence that secondary school graduates generally opt for the polytechnic as a second choice, rather than consider it a legitimate career path. The conversion occurred amidst such severe challenges, though the nation could have committed to addressing them effectively before the change.

The conversion itself occurred under bizarre circumstances, with some polytechnics even agitating their way into technical university status. In the end, instead of the recommended gradual conversion, eight polytechnics were snowballed into technical universities. Meanwhile, the status quo remained basically polytechnic. Even though the objective was to move towards competency-based education, the large class numbers make that impossible. With government subvention always late or sometimes not coming at all, the institutions are forced to depend on internally-generated funds, which is realised through tuition, therefore, funds motivate enrolment, not academic performance or experience. Consequently, students who are not equipped for the tertiary classroom are admitted into the system, and technical university status has not changed that.  

Considering the numerous handicaps of the technical universities, should there be an inkling of truth in Mr. Owusu’s claim, the Government will not be acting in bad faith at all, even if the move might not be politically rewarding. The question is: do we really need ten technical universities in Ghana? One desires a technical university which pursues the Dresden concept or which operates on the concept of utilising natural resources for quality existence, like MIT. The excellence of such institutions stems from the fact that they constantly develop knowledge and expertise through high-powered level applied research. For example, MIT has taken language beyond human interaction; with the aid of computers, it is now exploring how the brain actually makes language. Over here, we consider research, largely for promotion, not for improving knowledge and quality existence. That stance ought to change.

The stark reality is that constituting the councils would not automatically rectify such systemic handicaps. We need to strive for the quality that has consistently eluded the Technical/Vocational Educational System. For that to happen, the nation must genuinely invest in the System. We need to combat the wrong notion that Technical/Vocational Education is for the dim-witted or academic non-performers; the right elements — the teacher and the taught — must be placed in the system. We need to convince the average Ghanaian youth that the Technical/Vocational System offers a legitimate career path. Above all, the institutions must research and design innovative approaches to offer alternative, dignified livelihood to the teeming Ghanaian unemployed youth who are daily exploited or resort to nefarious activities against law-abiding citizens. If we achieved that, then Technical/Vocational Education would be championing national and human resource development, and that should be our prime focus. 

Freedom of Speech Endangered

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Mandatory French Studies: A Good Move but …

Efforts by the Government to make French studies compulsory for junior high school pupils is a pragmatic move. People who speak multiple languages have several advantages in a global environment, since they interact better with people from other cultures. Even in old age, the brain of the multi-tongued remains more alert than that of those who speak one language only. The fact that Ghana shares all four borders with French neighbours makes the move politically, socio-economically expedient, but the move should constitute part of the Nation’s Educational and Language Policies.

Indeed, the initiators must know that the smooth acquisition of a Third Language (L₃₎ will hinge a bit on a solid foundation of First Language (L₁) and Second Language (L₂). But the fact is that our educational system has completely botched the L₁ and L₂ policy over the past decades, which failure has impacted negatively on the entire learning system, culminating in mass mediocrity and underachievement. If we had handled the language policy successfully, French would not be an issue now. In fact, a smooth system existed during the O’ Level days, when students painlessly commenced learning French in secondary form one. At the time, some well-endowed basic schools introduced pupils to French.

It is rather bizarre that Ghana has handled language learning so abysmally, for even in the colonial days, the educational system advocated formative learning in the mother tongue (L₁). That remains a sound principle. Contemporary studies have proved that pupils who learn to read in the home language or mother tongue have better achievement scores in English. Based on that sound principle, a Ghanaian child is supposed to be taught in the L₁ from class one to three, while studying English as a subject. A switch is made in class four where English becomes the medium of expression and the L₁ becomes a subject. Of course, the parents play the primary role of ensconcing the infant in the mother tongue, even before birth.

Somehow, Ghanaians have managed to muddle that fundamental process of language acquisition such that many parents now introduce their infants to English rather than the mother tongue. Ironically, most of these parents do not even have a firm grasp of the language, so they only manage to speak bad English with their children. What is worse, some teachers in the primary classrooms are not proficient in any of the six local languages. In effect, such children are deprived of the rich first tongue which could endow them with a firm worldview, yet they can only gabble in English. Therefore, they neither have L₁ or L₂. A generation that hovers so precariously between L₁ and L₂ would be lost in the stream of L₃. So if we really want to succeed with French, we must smoothen the acquisition processes for L₁ and L_2. Yet, a more pressing reason remains.

Our utmost target as a nation should be achieving the primary objective of basic education: Laying the foundation for effective communication, critical thinking and innovative learning. The World Economic Forum report, New Vision for Education: Fostering Social and Emotional Learning through Technology, states that there is increase in expansion of schools and access to school, yet there is very little learning. Ghana is a glaring example. If one considers the number of subjects being studied by pupils and the enormous amount of time spent on teaching them, Ghana should be brimming with geniuses. Yet, increasingly, tertiary institutions are getting students who can barely read or write intelligible English and who barely comprehend text, let alone critically analyse issues. Even some degree holders struggle painfully with the English Language.

So the national target should be ensuring that quality teaching and learning actually occur in primary education, preparing learners for 21^st Century learning. To achieve that objective, basic schools must help pupils to acquire six Foundational Literacies, the Report emphasised: “Literacy, Numeracy, Scientific literacy, ICT literacy, Financial literacy, Cultural and civic literacy”. The good news is that, these are already targets of the primary curriculum; the bad news is that the targets continue to elude us, and adding French is not going to rectify the situation.

Ghanaian pupils are already bogged down with so many subjects; they virtually live in the classroom, judging by the time they spend attending classes and extra-classes, with increasing poor results. There is urgent need for a move that will propel us toward achieving the Foundational Literacies. The fact is that Ghana could strategize to achieve the six Literacies through five subjects: Language (mother tongue and English), Mathematics, Science, ICT, Civic and cultural studies. Of course, the Inspectorate Division must be made to perform its monitoring function to ensure that teaching and learning actually occur. Pupils ought to be given ample time to study, reflect and play creatively. Even pivotal is placing only professional teachers in the formative classrooms. Teacher commitment is crucial in nurturing children’s potential. The parent’s role must not be glossed.

If fundamental steps were taken to overhaul primary education in Ghana, as the White Paper for the 2007 Educational Reform recommended, pupils would be prepared intellectually, culturally and socially for L₃, and this could commence either in the junior or senior high school. In other words, adding French to the plethora of subjects currently on the basic school syllabus will be a bad move. If that initiative got implemented now, the only beneficiaries would be French authors and publishers who would sell French books, and French teachers who would organise extra French classes to extort money from overburdened parents.

The President and the Minister of Education ought to move cautiously with this compulsory French initiative. It is a laudable move for learners’ versatility and bilateral relations, but if it is not planned and executed meticulously, it would merely further replete scarce resources, disempower rather than empower learners. On the contrary, the move could be made so seamlessly if we strictly enforced the existing language policy, and actually prioritised language learning. If we took certain necessary steps before implementing this policy, we would be targeting quality learning and teaching. We would be targeting internalisation of the languages. We would actually strengthen formative learning, and motivate parents and teachers to develop proper appreciation for language and learning.

Goldenberg, a US researcher has asserted that school children whose language learning is not structured accurately end up as poor communicators, who tend to be underachievers, whom any nation can ill-afford. Recently, Ghanaians have witnessed how gravely poor communicators can cost the Nation. That embarrassment should help all to appreciate the importance of language in life, and it all begins from the formative years. A research desk must be created within the Language Section of the Curriculum Research & Development Division to track the performance of pupils, determine the reasons for poor performance and determine effective ways to rectify such. Most importantly, the Section must be excellently resourced in personnel. In short, language issues in education must be firmly guided by quality teaching, research and effective monitoring, not by political goodwill.

Where education is concerned, it is time we stopped placing the cart before the horse, because every time educational changes are based on political enthusiasm, generations lose rather than gain, the ultimate loser being the nation. There is opportunity to bring committed language experts together for holistic planning and execution. Professor Kwasi Yankah is already seconded to the Ministry of Education. The immediate past Minister of Education is passionate about teaching children in the mother tongue. Others in language classrooms share her passion. It is about time committed language teachers took a firm stand for quality language teaching/learning. We ought to revisit the language policy and hone it into a dynamic guide that would sustainably cater for language acquisition — and learning in general.

Yes, it is time the Nation acknowledged the pivotal role of language in learning. Every teacher in basic and secondary education be must be proficient in, at least, one local Language, so s/he can teach learners. Instead of making French studies compulsory for pupils, let us first revisit and enforce the Language Policy in order to streamline language learning. Only then can we strengthen the entire educational system for excellent human resource development.

Kudos to NIB Kumasi Main Branch

Please allow me to express my appreciation to the staff of the Kumasi Main Branch, National Investment bank, for an excellent service.

On February 24, 2017, I travelled to Kumasi, got into an emergency situation and had to seek the services of the Bank. The service I needed had to be approved from the main Branch in Accra; the Bank closes at 4:30 pm. I walked into the Manager’s office at 4:05pm and explained my situation. He was as empathetic as he was professional.

Whilst I filled the necessary application form, the Manager called the Officer in charge of the service, who had stepped out of his office, and then spoke to the section which would approve the application in the main office in Accra. The application was processed promptly. By 4:25pm, the Manager informed me that the application had been approved by Accra. In the end, I got the service I wanted at 4: 45pm.

The Branch lived up to its motto and made my business their business on that Friday, and I am so grateful. At a time in Ghana when public service is usually offered apathetically, it was so refreshing to observe such enthusiasm and professionalism among the staff.

Kudos to a very proactive Branch!

Ghana@60: A Time for Reflection

I was happy that I caught the unveiling ceremony of the Ghana@60 logo on Ghana Television. The President asked questions that offered food for thought. In apparent reference to my insinuation that we have no reason for celebrating, he asserted that we do have reasons for a celebration. His other question greatly interests me: “Do we have reasons for reflection? My answer is, Oh yes! We have numerous issues and reasons for reflection.

I have been telling friends that the President currently enjoys so much goodwill among the populace that if he went round collecting arms to set up the industries he has promised Ghanaians, he would receive funds in overabundance. Even the beggars would give to him. The President is apparently aware of that. Therefore capitalizing on that goodwill, he has implored corporate bodies to fund the celebration, the estimated cost of which is about GH¢ 20 million. There is nothing like astuteness in a leader.

I observed keenly the foreigners who represented corporate bodies among the guests. I saw some Orientals, but I did not see any Chinese. If some were present, I missed them. I do not know how to react to the fact that some Chinese companies might be helping us to celebrate independence when they are currently among the worst culprits of slavery in this country. One should travel along, parts of the Ashanti and Western Regions and witness the devastation they have wreaked on our land. Thanks to them, we are losing forests and farm lands, and the worst of all, our water bodies at an alarming rate. Yes, some Chinese have enslaved the land and deprived us of livelihood. Of course, we have the most delinquent of Ghanaians conniving with unscrupulous foreigners to destroy our land, our root, the nexus of our stability and identity, for gold and other natural resources. If such vandal Chinese groups become benefactors during our independence celebration, how much will they contribute in order to compensate for the irreparable harm they are causing us?

That horrible reality has planted me on an uneasy path of deep reflection, which is what the President wants us to do. My reflection has yielded some daring, innovate ideas. Majority of Ghanaians wouldn’t dare to consider my suggestions, but I know that the President has guts and is also wary of this Ghana-Chinese menace, hence, my recommendations:

1.   Through an Executive Decree, halt all Chinese galamsey operations IMMEDIATELY.
2.     No Chinese galamsey operators should contribute towards the March 6 celebration.
3.     Rather, all such Groups should be taxed US $ 3 billion to repair the lands they have ravaged (if that doesn’t suffice, they should be taxed more).
4.    Henceforth, make such wanton degradation of land for gold a treasonable offence. (What would happen to a Ghanaian who dared to attempt such activity in China?
5.  Offenders should be given the highest penalty, according to the Constitution, with no chances of pardon by any government of the day.

I don’t have any qualms at all about my suggestions, especially, the amount, because the equipment alone being used for these nefarious activities offer strong proof that it is a booming trade. Besides, it is penalty for wanton destruction of resources. Oh, if these wicked ones could be stopped by 12.am on March 6, 2017, what a celebration there would be?

 I have been wondering whether the communication service providers would be among the benefactors and how much they offer, considering that they are also robbing Ghanaians in broad daylight. These companies move into Ghana and offer despicable services they would never dare in their own countries. Instead of communication services, subscribers get jammed lines and lies. Currently, communication service providers are better at diverting services. They offer everything from insurance to mobile money; then they sell phones. This is the only country I know where corporate bodies shirk their primary corporate responsibilities with glee and get praised for honouring their social responsibilities.

I have not the slightest doubt that some communication service providers will offer sponsorship, but in reality, that would be fraudulent. They rob us of communication services and sponsor our independence celebration? In October 2016, I paid my subscription fee through Tigo and was sent a Tigo transmission ID. DSTV never received the amount, so I had to pay double. Now, Tigo does not have a record of the transmission. That is how ordinary Ghanaians are being ripped off by these service providers.  Yet, the issue goes way beyond value for money. Those corporations are equally guilty of environmental neglect, aided by the National Communications Authority.

Which of the communication service providers currently operates an e- recycling programme to protect the environment? They bring in all kinds of mobile and other communication gadgets yet have no system for the safe management of the resultant e-waste. In an ideal situation, the Ghana Standards Board and the National Communication Authority will licence a communication service provider only upon evidence that the would-be provider has an operable e-waste management programme.

In fact, the two agencies ought to have ensured by now that all communication service providers operate obligatory e-recycling programmes. The National Media Commission has not helped either. Not too long ago, BBC featured an e-recycling facility in Ireland, exploring its positive impact. It juxtaposed that with the bogus system at the Agbobloshie Market in Accra, where young men rip old computers and other e-gadgets with bare hands, apparently oblivious of their exposure to radioactive materials. During the ministerial vetting process, I thought it was cynical of the immediate outgone Minister of Communication, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, to ask Professor Frimpong-Boateng about e-recycling. Why did his Ministry not implement e-recycling during his tenure, knowing that scrap dealers were exploiting the youth. His statement that plans are underway for e-recycling was really a non-starter. Ghana has specialised in planning, not implementing.

So this is my suggestion to the President: All communication service providers in the country must submit their e-recycling programmes and effect implementation IMMEDIATELY. All can contact the Ireland facility for collaboration; they do not have to re-invent the wheel. It really upsets me that consumers are advised to recycle e-products, yet we cannot, because we have no safe e-recycling programme in the country. If on March 6, as part of his address, the President informed the Nation about operational e-waste facilities across the country, as designated by the communication service providers, what a milestone in waste management that would be!

About six years ago, I asked an employee of Guinness Ghana Limited whether the Company recycled cans. He answered no. I gathered that the Company imports canned Guinness yet does not recycle cans. I am yet to be informed if Coca Cola recycles cans and plastic in the country. Elsewhere, these companies have major recycling programmes of bottles and cans. Why do they not do same in Ghana? Because this is the place where rules are trampled upon, and human interests are sacrificed for money. Government should task these companies into starting recycling programmes for cans. Every entity which manufactures or imports canned and plastic products into the country should start an obligatory respective recycling programmes IMMEDIATELY. That would be a huge boost for sanitation in the country. If the President should announce on March 6, a commencement of can and plastic recycling programmes by all the companies that deal in such products, what a celebration there would be!

This country sacrifices human interests, quality and dignified existence for expensive vehicles. A minister can dip his hand deeply into a major road construction fund in order to purchase a luxurious vehicle for his office. We purchase Land Cruisers in fleet. That has been the bane of Ghana. Funds meant for national development projects are used to purchase vehicles, and the people suffer. Currently, there is a wrangle between the ruling party and the opposition about 200 missing official vehicles. The opposition insists it’s a ruse by the ruling party to purchase more vehicles. It’s about time we invested in human beings, especially, our children. The President would really make our day if he announced on March 6 that the State will not purchase vehicles in the next four years.

Well, this is how far my reflection has brought me; some worrying images I have presented, but that is Ghana’s reality. Hopefully, the situations change and we become care-takers of nation and environment, not destroyers.  Oh yes, we do have reasons for reflection, which should yield remorse for neglect or wrong actions, then motivate conscientious ones to take firm steps for reparation. If such noble implementation characterised Ghana@60 celebration, it would indeed be a dignified celebration!

SICLife, be Business-Minded

 On Tuesday, January 10, 2017, I filled a form for a partial withdrawal from my investment. I was told to pick a cheque in a week. On Tuesday, January 17, 2017, I went to the office at about 2pm. It took two female officers about ten minutes to locate the half-processed voucher. The officer who was supposed to complete it had gone on break, so I was told to wait. He returned to the office a little after 3pm. At about 3:15pm, he called me to verify information. After I had answered his questions, I told him that my cheque should have been ready by that afternoon, and that after a week’s wait, I should not have had to leave my work for over an hour, waiting for them to process my application.

One can understand the one-week waiting period since the Branch probably has numerous clients. However, whatever processes are entailed in the services ought to be completed by the seventh day. SICLife has set the timeline; they must have weighed all factors before settling on the time. The fact is that in the highly competitive insurance sector, the 7-day processing time is too long. So to worsen the delay by making clients queue on the seventh day for documents or services, the agency is further squandering its business goodwill.

SICLife deals with workers; making such clients wait unduly for service is counterproductive. When I went to pick the form a week earlier, I spent over an hour in the office. Instead of filling forms for clients, the officers could limit that service to illiterate ones. The literate can fill their own forms, ask for guidelines when and where necessary. One cannot downplay in any way the work of SICLife. Yet, offering essential services must not be a licence for avoidable delays. The Branch must respect its own timelines.