Students in Ghana at all levels, no matter how smart or intelligent are usually handicapped when they meet counterparts from western countries because they are faced with the reality of inability to recognize equipment and how to operate them, host of the National Science and Maths Quiz Dr. Elsie Kaufmann has said.
The Biomedical Engineering Lecturer at the University of Ghana stated that in her experience as a tutor, she had observed that a lot of the times, students are unable to translate the theories and ideas into practicality.
“…we have too many of our inputs (students from the high schools) and they come and including the very ones that sit with me on stage. They are the best and the brightest, and yet something is wrong with their education because they’re not able to translate all those theories, wonderful ideas and foundation into useful outcomes,” she lamented
Speaking as a guest on the Kweku Sintim Misa (KSM) Show, Dr. Kaufmann recounted quite a touching experience shared by winners of the 2018 National Science and Maths Quiz during a visit to the President.
She stated that the students told President Akufo-Addo that they had failed to excel in an international science competition hosted in Portugal because they couldn’t recognize and understand the equipment which they had been presented with. They noted that despite all the knowledge and theories they possessed, they were rendered useless.
“…just recently the winners of the 2018 National Science and Maths Quiz went to see the President and I was there. And the young men, one of them spoke eloquently. They had been in a competition in Portugal…,but they couldn’t do the competition, they didn’t understand it because they couldn’t even understand and recognize how the equipment they were given worked. The young man said they can tell you everything about the theories, they can describe and explain everything but they cannot apply anything…” she narrated.
She called for a change in the approach in the education of the youth at the various levels in order to translate potential ideas into useful products which can solve the country’s problems.
Source: Ghanaweb.com
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Arguably,the best and first class schools appear on the National Maths and Science Quiz,if these so called "big schools" cannot convert theories into practicals,then they are not different from those attending L/A and D/A. if they cant identify equipment and theirs uses,then we are trouble. This will let you and i understand why our leaders don't believe in today's youth because is the same curriculum for the past 50 years. our education system is too bad that if a student fail maths and science,that is the end. And these are the same people who turn to be drivers and cook. Certificate hasn't done anything good for Ghana and it wont.
Employers, Teachers, Parents,Heads of schools,Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders in education equate academic certificates with capabilities.We do not believe in talents. We think that talent without certificate is meaningless. An ultimate question should be: How can we groom talented citizens to the benefit of society?
Very pathetic!! I hope something will be done about it
The problem starts with the quiz itself which glorifies regurgitation with no practical application.What prevents the quiz master from making the quiz practical? I have long stopped watching them as they are as less useful as the curriculum itself used to educate our students Our education system does not encourage bringing in people from industry to share experiences or even teach on part time.The lecturers protect and guard their territories and until we marry the two,our problems will persist If an electrical Engineer cannot fix a bulb,a mechanical engineer does even know how to change plugs and an agric student is only an agric student because he did not get admin,then we are in a big trouble imagine the difference between being taught by the Auditor General (or a retired one) in auditing and a professor who has never audited any firm before or being taught entrepreneurship by a prof who does not even know where the registrar of companies office is (and has set up zero company) and someone like Osei Kwame Despite Great universities do both and we should learn from them
i support @kwaku. are them teachers practical-oriented? talk is cheap. blacks like cheap talks. what has she done or invented as a phd holder? talk is cheap.
This is what should attract national attention immediately! But alas. Unnecessary issues take the centre stage, and sadly the media which could help by setting agenda on this issue consistently, prefer to stir up ***barred word*** issues that glorify individuals. Now international curricula are being taught in Gh schools. And the spoilers of our ed system send their kiddos there, whereas the av. Ghanaian can't afford the prohibitive fees these schools charge. So why won't people leave the country at the slightest chance? Change must come. Change, not NPP/NDC change ooo, change in administration of this dear and blessed country. The structures must change, citizens must demand what rightfully belongs to them. Arise Ghana! Proper laws must work, every one must be accountable.
Whose fault? Are the teachers and lecturers themselves practically-orientated to impact such knowledge to the students? Build the capacity of these teachers and lecturers so that they can teach well. They all cut and paste. They expect the students to pour back to them what they gave them during lessons in order to pass their exams. And in Ghana everybody is interested in the type of certificate people get, not your practical experience.
Madam you've said it all. Our education system is so bogus. Our teachers can't tell us why we are learning algebra and it's application in life. Yet if a student fails to answer correctly they're punished. Our education system is all about competition among students and schools with no practical applications. The old colonial system (which we're so dependant on) we're using has been reformed and improved by the colonial master yet ours is still the same. Same applies to our constitution and everything else in this country. We need a total overhaul of our education system.
Great information its 100% true. our education system need some changes.