Do Not Rush To Implement New Curriculum - GNAT Tells Gov’t

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has cautioned government against rushing to implement the proposed standards-based curriculum until implementers and stakeholders have been thoroughly sensitised.

This is because, if properly implemented, the new curriculum would go a long way to address the shortfalls in the educational system and eliminate the “chew and pour” method, which had characterised the country’s educational system.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo–Addo in his state of the nation address on Thursday February 21, 2019 announced that Ghana would in September 2019, roll out a new standards-based curriculum from kindergarten to Class six in primary schools intended to make Ghanaian school children well-rounded and creative thinkers.

But GNAT insist that it was imperative for the government to organise series of training workshops to get teachers who were the key implementers as well as parents and all stakeholders to thoroughly understand the concept of the new curriculum before it is rolled out.

Mr. Mathew Adjarjah, Head of Professional Development Unit of GNAT, gave the caution at the opening of a two-day Curriculum and Assessment Training Workshop in Cape Coast for 130 selected Subject Teachers, drawn from the Western, Central and Ashanti regions.

The workshop, organised by GNAT, was aimed at giving the teachers some insight into the whole curriculum review process and to upgrade their skills and knowledge on the various level of assessment in the teaching chain.

According to Mr Adjarjah, the review of the country’s educational curriculum was long overdue because the global accepted practice demands that educational curriculum must be reviewed every decade.

Ghana's curriculum therefore, needed to be reviewed to meet the changing trends across the globe.

He debunked reports that teacher unions were not consulted on the review of the curriculum but said the consultations done were not exhaustive and adequate.

Mr Adjarjah indicated that the country was moving away from the objective base curriculum to a standard base one which emphasised on skills and values to fit perfectly into the needs of the society other than mere knowledge acquisition.

Reverend Isaac Owusu, Central Regional Chairman of GNAT said the workshop fell in line with the aim of the Association to promote the professional development and competencies of its members through training and re-training.

In that way, he said members would upgrade their knowledge and skills and was hopeful that the beneficiaries would be more effective when they go back to the classroom.

Participant would be taken through the principles of school curriculum, curriculum review and development process, the new pre-tertiary curriculum, its component and framework as well as the implementation plan of the new curriculum.

Some of the participants who spoke to the GNA were happy about the proposed standard-base curriculum but called on the government to back it with supply of teaching and learning materials.

Source: GNA