Practical or Theoretical Education?

Education is often referred to as the single most important denominator of development. This means that if a country wants to develop, education must be made a priority.

The Government of Ghana has invested heavily and continues to invest in the free Senior High School education policy. This is in the hope that when a huge number of citizens get at least a basic education, they can contribute meaningfully to nation building and help to promote development.

Though such investments are important, it is equally prudent to focus on the content of education. This makes the introduction of the new curriculum even more timely and useful.

For years, the Ghanaian educational system has been more theoretical than practical. This has affected the quality of graduates and made it difficult for students to practice what they study in school and implement the knowledge in a way that will be beneficial to society. Sadly, unemployment rates, poverty, corruption and the lack of transformational ideas to solve the many problems bedeviling the country can be linked to the educational system in one way or the other. Of course, the educational system is not solely responsible for all these challenges but it contributes largely to the quality of graduates that are churned out every year from our universities and basic schools.

Some may argue that it is not an either/or issue and there should be a balance in the teaching methods used. However it is clear that a lot of theoretical teaching goes into our schools and to truly find a balance means consciously inculcating practical training.

Therefore in order to make young Ghanaians solution oriented, a conscious effort must be made to intensify practical teaching and learning across all schools. This would help improve our attitude towards problems and help us transform our country in the long run.