Politics must not destroy our educational system

Education has been identified as a major tool for the development of nations and should, therefore, be guarded jealously against any form of negative interference.

Many developed countries rode on the back of education to reach where they are currently and, undoubtedly, it is clearly a pathway to development.

It is in recognition of this that the Eastern Regional Chairman of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Godwin Awoonor-Yevu, recently appealed to politicians not to play politics with the country’s educational system (See page 28).

Citing as an example the recent feud between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on results of the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Education (WASSCE), the regional NAGRAT Chairman said it was a clear indication that politicians were using education to score political points.

For Mr Awoonor-Yevu, the situation where the NDC is discrediting the results of the WASSCE and the NPP is defending them is a sign of a lack of trust in the competence of the teachers who taught the students.

The issues raised by the NAGRAT Chairman sum up the concerns of many well-meaning Ghanaians as well as those technocrats employed and paid with the taxpayers’ money to manage our educational system.

The NPP cannot be faulted for clinching onto education as a campaign tool because of the free SHS programme it introduced.

 That is to be expected but it should not be to the detriment of the system.

Whether it is the NPP or NDC, our educational system should remain the same and no political party should tie itself to the national educational system by making drastic changes without the input of the rank and file of the population.

The interesting thing is that whether we like it or not, it is the same educational structures that both parties will continue to rely on.

Our politicians should demonstrate trust and belief in our educational system.

 The current politicisation of the WASSCE results is not only to denigrate the managers of education, but does not also bode well for the nation.

Again, our politicians must save our students the embarrassment associated with the commentary about their results.  

We were all witnesses in 2007 following the Professor Josephus Anamuah-Mensah’s report, when the senior high school duration was changed from three years to four years, which was again reverted to three years in 2011, resulting in two cohorts graduating in 2013.

That was a painful experience we should all come together to avoid, “Never again”.

Another issue which is quite disconcerting is the manner in which inexperienced political apparatchiks are appointed, sidestepping laid down recruitment procedures, into certain technical roles in some key public institutions within the education sector at the expense of experienced technocrats which does not also augur well for the efficient and effective development of our educational system.

Ghanaians are now used to witnessing a situation where politicians who are appointed move to their offices with a retinue of cronies who take over the work of the technocrats in a manner that flouts the civil service procedures.

No wonder most of the technocrats occupying certain positions are removed as soon as there is a change in political administration; in some cases, even within the same administration but with a change in the political heads.

For us at the Daily Graphic, we believe that as a country, there should be some sectors or areas that should be seen as national assets and must not suffer politicisation.

The time has come for all Ghanaians to unite beyond political colours to tell the politicians that our educational system is what is holding us and so, they should build on what their predecessors had started and not unwind the clock.

Ghana needs to develop, hinging on education and that will not be possible if we continue to leave education in the hands of our politicians to play football with.

Let us all continue to trust our systems and believe in the capability of the technocrats who are apolitical to work efficiently and effectively to further develop our educational system.