John Dramani Mahama, flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reiterated his resolve to reform Ghana’s education system should his government regain power in the 2024 election.
The flag bearer says the trimester system which hitherto gave teachers some laxity to prepare adequately for their students has been replaced with a system which does not give teachers the opportunity to set their curriculum for the following semesters which has adversely affected the educational system.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with only labour unions at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi Thursday, January 25, 2024, John Mahama said he was going to do a stakeholder consultation to reform the system.
The vision, which he says has been described by some as a means to cancel the Free Senior High School policy is not true.
“Before when we had a trimester system, the teachers used to have a break to be able to mark their papers, take a rest, write their curriculum for the next term before the children come and then they start teaching.
“Now the teachers have no break; when these ones are coming, these ones are going, now it’s ‘basaaaa’ (haphazard). You don’t know who goes where and who goes where. And so if I say teachers come, headmasters come, parents come, educational experts come, GES come, all of you come and let’s see how to resolve this problem, does that mean cancellation?“ he quizzed.
He also allayed the fears of the teachers in voicing out issues that concern them, saying the next NDC administration will birth a new independence for teachers to freely express their concerns.
“And you all know these things but if you say it, they will come after you, so you are all quiet.
“So, I’m saying that one of the things this election is going to do when the NDC comes is a new independent day for teachers. You will hear the things they will say. After 7th January, the headmaster we couldn’t call to come here and speak, he will be freed, his chain would have been removed and you will hear the things they will say. For now, hold your peace, I know if you talk, they will transfer you to Bunkpurugu, Bole or somewhere,” he noted.