GES Commences Training for Teachers on New Curriculum

The Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), will be training 152,000 Kindergarten and Primary School teachers on the new Standard Based Curriculum for basic schools.

The training program has been designed with full recognition of the exigency of modern times and the global imperative of quality education, as required by the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service are hopeful that all 152,000 under the GES would be oriented on the new Standard Based Curriculum before the 2019/2020 academic year begins.

Executive Secretary of NaCCA, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of a five day Master Trainers Training Workshop on the curriculum.

Currently, 150 Master Trainer’s selected from the GES, NaCCA,  National Inspectorate Board, National Teaching Council, Public Colleges of Education, Universities among other stakeholders are being oriented on the curriculum in their respective subjects.

The training has several modules including the rationale for revising the school curriculum and the new changes in the curriculum,  Pedagogy – creative approaches for learner-centred teaching approach among others.

According to Dr Prince Hamid Armah, the Master Trainer’s will also be taken through Jolly phonics, global competence and Assessment for leaner.

In addition, 3900 Regional,  Metropolitan, Municipal and District teams around the country will also be trained to further train 152 000 Kindergarten and primary school teachers as well as head teachers and circuit supervisors nationwide.

He says the new curriculum is going to prepare the next ‘Generals’ to become contemporary relevant and face the world dynamics.

Opening the ceremony, Minister of Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, hinted that over the years, the content and structure of instructions in Ghana’s institutions of learning particularly at the basic level have held Ghana back by failing to adequately equip young people with the skills, understanding and innovation that will make children contribute most effectively to nation-building.

According to Dr Opoku Prempeh, Ghana’s education system has merely served as a conveyor belt to pass young people into the world of work without ensuring that they would be able to function effectively.

He said the only way to prepare Ghana and the next generation, is to provide them with skills – soft and hard- that will enable them to navigate the new world and the challenges that will be inherent in it.

Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh said the dynamics of today’s world require a holistic and broad education of students to enable them to function and thrive in varying environments.

He said the new Standard Based Curriculum has taken into consideration all the above needs.

Dr Opoku Prempeh mentioned that the crux of education is to have the basics right and that if our children do not have it right from Kindergarten to primary 3, then the country is doomed.

He indicated, more emphasis would be placed on creative teaching and learning of maths and science in the new curriculum.

The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankw, announced reforms to the current educational system including replacing the existing primary school curriculum and introducing new uniforms for Junior High School [JHS] pupils.

Addressing the press, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa said, the new curriculum for primary schools is in line with international best practice, which requires a review every five years.

“A key feature of the new curriculum is the introduction of a national assessment examination at classes two, four and six,” he said