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Ghana Education System

1.0 Educational Policy
The educational system in Ghana is made up of 6 years of primary school, 3 years of junior secondary school (which forms 9 years of basic education) followed by 3 years of senior secondary school. This constitutes 12 years of pre-tertiary education.

Tertiary education consists of 3 to 4 years of training at the Polytechnics, Teacher Training Colleges and other training institutions and university education.

Children start school at the age of 6 years. Basic Education is compulsory and free and it is mandatory for the pupils to complete the 9 years of primary and junior secondary schooling. Secondary education is not compulsory.

1.1 Pre-School Education
There are few pre-schools in the country. Only about 30% of children of age-group 3-6 years have access to a nursery or kindergarten education before entering the formal school. Pre-school education is desirable but not compulsory. These schools are established by private individuals, communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), churches etc. The Ghana Education Service (Ministry of Education) has a few model pre-schools in the districts and regions.

1.2 Primary Education
Primary Education being the foundation of the education system has the following objectives:

i) numeracy and literacy i.e. the ability to count, use numbers, read, write and communicate effectively;

ii) laying the foundation for inquiry and creativity;

iii) development of sound moral attitudes and a healthy appreciation of Ghana's cultural heritage and identity;

iv) development of the ability to adapt constructively to a changing environment;

v) laying the foundation for the development of manipulative and life skills that will prepare the individual pupils to function effectively to their own advantage as well as that of their community;

vi) inculcating good citizenship education as a basis for effective participation in national development.

The objective outline above have been incorporated into a revised national curriculum comprising the following subjects for all Primary Schools:

Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Cultural Studies
Ghanaian Languages
English
Agriculture
Life Skills
Physical Education

1.3 Junior Secondary School
Under the new education reform programme which began in 1987 the Junior Secondary School is to give pupils a broad-based education including pre-disposition to technical and vocation subjects and basic life skills which will enable the pupils to:

i) discover their aptitudes and potentialities so as to induce in them the desire for self-improvement.

ii) Appreciate the use of the hand as well as the mind and make them creative and self-employable.

All Junior Secondary Schools are day schools with mixed sexes.

The following comprise the curriculum of the Junior Secondary School:

1. Mathematics

2. Integrated Science

3. Social Studies

4. Cultural Studies

5. Ghanaian Languages

6. English Language

7. French (optional)

8. Agriculture

9. Life Skills

10. Physical Education

11. Technical Drawing

12. Basic Technical Skills

13. Vocational Skills

Every pupil is expected to study all the subjects except French, which is optional and may be studied only if there is a qualified teacher on the staff. 12 Vocational subjects have been approved for study in Junior Secondary Schools throughout the country. Each school is required to select for study 2 of those subjects for which materials are available locally.

1.4 Senior Secondary School
Education at this level is designed to cater for students ages 16 to 18 years and lasts for 3 year after the 9 years of basic education.

The objectives of the Senior Secondary School system are:

i) to reinforce and build on knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired at the Junior Secondary School level;

ii) to produce well developed and productive individuals equipped with the qualities of responsible leadership capable of fitting into a scientific and technological world and to contribute to the socio-economic development of their own areas and country as a whole;

iii) to increase the relevance of the content of the curriculum to the culture and socio-economic problems of the country.

Senior Secondary School students study 7 Core Subjects:

1. English

2. Mathematics

3. Science

4. Agricultural and Environmental Studies

5. Life Skills

6. Ghanaian Language

7. Physical Education (which is not examined externally at the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination).

In addition, each student selects 3 subjects from a wide range of programme - options consisting of 3 subjects to be studied under 5 specialised programmes.

These programmes are:-

i) Agriculture Programme

ii) Technical Programme

iii) Business Programme

iv) Vocational Programme

v) General (Arts & Science) Programme

At both basic and secondary levels of education, the enquiry method is the instructional method used. Pupils and students are led to use their creative skills on projects and find out things for themselves. Students are encouraged to read, observe, explore and experiment.

2.0 School Activities
In addition to academic work and training in skills, students participate in co-curricular activities such as sports and games, cultural activities, clubs and societies e.g. Red Cross, Red Crescent, Evergreen Club, Boys Scout, Girls Guide, Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade, Scripture Union etc.

Students engage in these activities outside normal class hours, usually on the school compound before they go home. In the secondary boarding schools, there is ample time at the week-end for these activities. Sometimes the students organise trips to places of interest or join students in other schools for various activities.

3.0 Off Campus Activities
Students get involved in community activities, especially when the local community is carrying out projects such as clean-up campaign and school construction work. The Voluntary Work camps Association of Ghana (VWAG) organises student workcamps during the long vacation in support of community development projects.

Students also participate in public campaigns on health, population control, food production, afforestation, environmental protection, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy etc. Other community celebrations like durbars of chiefs, traditional festivals, agricultural shows, science exhibitions and national and international events enjoy massive student participation.

In Ghana students are not expected to do part-time work. A few obtain jobs after school, in their leisure hours and during school vacation. Parents are supposed to cater for all the needs of their children until they finish school and are in a position to fend for themselves. However, some students help their parents in their economic ventures such as trading and farming. Students who undertake odd jobs e.g. weeding, selling goods for commission, do so to get some pocket-money. Parents normally provide money that will cover their children's genuine expenditure on transportation, lunch or snack.

There is no official regulation on the provision of pocket-money to students at home or in school.

Senior Secondary School Curriculum
The Senior Secondary School curriculum consists of a Core Curriculum and 5 Specialised Programmes. Each school can offer 2 or more of such Specialised Programmes. Each specialised programme is made up of 2 or more options. Students are required to select 1 option consisting of a package of 3 subjects.

The Core Curriculum consists of 7 subjects namely:

1. English Language

2. Ghanaian Language

3. Science

4. Mathematics

5. Agricultural and Environmental Studies

6. Life Skills

7. Physical Education

With the exception of Physical Education, which will not be assessed externally, all core subjects will be examined internally and externally. The 5 Specialised Programmes are:

1. Agriculture

2. Business

3. Technical

4. Vocational (Home Economics and Visual Arts)

5. General (Arts and Science) Education

PROGRAMME OPTIONS

1. Agriculture Programme -
Option I
General Agriculture (Soil Science, Crop Science, Animal Science, Farm Management)
Farm Mechanization
Horticulture

Option II
General Agriculture
Agricultural Economics and Extension
Horticulture

2. Business Programme
Accounting Option
Introduction to Business Management
Accounting
Business Mathematics and Costing/Clerical and Office Duties

Secretarial Option
Introduction to Business Management
Typing (40 w.p.m.)
Clerical and Office Duties

3. Technical Programme
Building Option
Technical Drawing and Engineering Science
Building Construction
Wood-work

Metal Option
Technical Drawing and Engineering Science
Metal Work
Mathematics

Applied Electricity Option
Applied Electricity or Electronics
Physics
Mathematics

Auto Mechanics Option
Technical Drawing and Engineering Science
Auto Mechanics
Metal Work

4. Vocational Programme - Home Economics
Option I
Management in Living
Clothing and Textiles
Food and Nutrition

Option II
Management in Living
Clothing and Textiles
General Art

Option III
Management in Living
Food and Nutrition
General Art

Option IV - Visual Arts
General Art (history, appreciation, general concepts) following subjects to be selected by schools not students:

basketry
Leather-work
Graphic Design
Picture Making
Pottery Sculpture
Textiles

5. General Programme - Arts
Option I
English Language
Literature in English
French

Option II
English Language
French
Ghanaian Language

Option III
Economics
Geography
History

Option IV
English Language
Ghanaian Language
Literature in English

Option V
Economics
Geography
French

Option VI
Government
Literature in English
History

Option VII
History
Christian Religious Studies or Islamic Studies plus Third subject to be decided by school

Option VIII
Music
Literature in English
Ghanaian Language

Option IX
Economics
Geography
Mathematics

6. Science Programme
Option I
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Option II
Biology
Chemistry
Mathematics

Option III
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics

Option IV
Biology
Physics
Mathematics


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