New trends in physics teaching, v.4; The ... - unesdoc - Unesco

New Trends in Physics Teaching IV
followed by middle schooling, leaving at 16 years of age. First cycle education is fee-free but not
compulsory.
The second cycle consists of secondary grammar, business, teacher, nursing, veterinary,
agricultural, technical and vocational education. The grammar school takes five years leading to
the GCE ‘0’ level examination, followed by two years leading to the ‘A’ level for those who
qualify. Admission into the grammar school is by selection from Primary Six and any of the four
classes in the Middle School. Each class in the secondary school is heterogeneous age-wise. Education
at this level is not compulsory and tuition is free. Two types of training college exist: the
four-year post-elementary and the three-year post-secondary (formerly two years).
The third cycle comprises the Universities and Diploma-awarding institutions. A new education
system was due to start operating in September I980 but owing to national economic problems,
this has been suspended indefinitely. In this system, the first cycle wil be six years primary
schooling followed by three years of Junior Secondary education. This wil be fee-free and
compulsory and wil embrace the age range 6 to 15 years. The second cycle wil be two years of
Senior Secondary (GCE ‘0’ level) followed by two years of Upper Senior Secondary (GCE ‘A’
level). The third cycle has not changed very much.
The Junior Secondary School is the new feature in the system. It was designed to be joborientated
and at the same time provide background for future development. A core of subjects
consisting of a Ghanaian Language, English, French, Social and Cultural Studies, Science, Mathematics,
Agricultural Science and Home Science has to be studied. In addition to this core, two
subjects from a list of options made up of carpentry, masonry, tailoring, metal work, dressmaking,
commercial studies, fishing, etc. have to be chosen. Some ninety trial Junior Secondary Schools
have already been started. The rate at which these schools have been formed has come almost to
a halt for lack of such resources as books and equipment - a consequence of the economic
situation.
Headmasters of the existing secondary schools seem to dislike the Junior Secondary School
idea. It is claimed that pupils who complete the three-year Junior Secondary are much lower in
standard academically than those in the third year in the secondary school, but, vocation-wise,
the Junior Secondary products are superior. It is said that headmasters of secondary schools have
refused to admit the Junior Secondary products into the 4th year (Form 4) of their schools
to prepare for the GCE ‘0’ level examination but are admitting them into the 3rd year. At a
meeting of headmasters in the Northern and Upper Regions, a headmaster was reported to have
appealed to the government to cancel the Junior Secondary School programme. It wil be recalled
that the Junior Secondary Schools recruit their pupils from the Primary 6 class without the
benefit of any selection examination, while the secondary schools select their pupils from
Primary 6 and any of the four classes in the Middle School through a selection examination.
Admission into the Junior Secondary School is by interview of Primary 6 children. The headmasters
argue that because the selection examination into the senior secondary school is more
difficult than the interview, children with a wider range of ability enter the Junior Secondary
Schools. Their perfmmance at their final examinations is poor. Rote-learning is dominant and
they are ignorant of the application of simple scientific concepts.
It should also be noted that when the Junior Secondary Schools start functioning well,the
population of the secondary schools wil reduce. One is prompted to wonder whether the
secondary school headmasters are threatened by the appearance of the Junior Secondary School.
The Junior Secondary School deserves closer study.
The three-year post-secondary teacher training course has the task of training teachers for the
Junior Secondary School. The training of such teachers was started in September 1975 and is
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