Govt to reduce elective courses of students who cannot read or write – Minister

The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum says government intends to institute measures to reduce the elective subjects of Junior High School students who cannot read or write.

The intervention, he explained, is aimed at ensuring that students at Junior High Schools are able to, at least, read and write by the time they complete school.

For him, it is worrying and unacceptable that students who cannot read or write are still given many elective subjects to do in school, than focusing on literacy and writing skills courses.

Dr Adutwum made the disclosure at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education stakeholder meeting in Accra on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.

The event was held under the auspices of the National Teaching Council.

For the Education Minister, the current education system in the country does not favour “weak” or underprivileged students and need to be improved.

Dr Adutwum noted that it is better to offer students who cannot read or write additional literacy courses than being offered additional elective courses which do not help them to read or write.

"Why is that student who cannot read being offered additional courses?” he quizzed, adding that "There will be interventions for those who cannot read or cannot write. Their elective courses will be reduced consequently," he stressed.