GHANA, The 08 Experience
Ghana is Holy Cross's longest running trip. In fact, not only do we have a trip there, but we have a graduate from one of those trips who has gone back to serve a year there as a teacher. He is Jay Dunne, and is the first member of the Holy Cross Service Corps. If you look to the left you can see a bit more about the Corps. Then below that you will find out some basic info about the summer trips we offer. This year, we will have the usual trip, arounf July 19 - Aug 8, depending on the best tickets. But we ALSO are working to arrange a smaller trip that will be hosted by Jay Dunne while he is still in Ghana. That would take place from mid May to early June. If you are interested in either option, be sure to contact Mr. Griffin. And to learn more about what Jay, who will host that trip, is doing in Ghana, read the blog entries below. In them he describes many of the amazing experiences he is having. So enjoy!
Just one story
So many times I have difficulty thinking of what to share with all of you on this Blog. There is so much to talk about, good and bad. So much. I have not done a great job thus far sharing with you the stories of some of my close friends out here. So I figured I would allow my friends to let their lives speak for themselves. I had one of my closest friends here answer some questions for me in the hopes that you will learn a bit more about life in Ghana.
This is just one story...
I have always wanted dreamed of becoming a God fearing man and secondly to continue my education and achieve my aim of becoming an electrical engineer and thirdly to help those who are in need, the helpless in my society.
The major obstacles in my way is the fear that I will not be able to achieve my ambitions since I don’t have the money and this is the main problem I am facing now. And I will take this opportunity to ask you something. Please, my friend I need an amount of 5 million cedis, about 500 dollars to further my education at Takoradi Polytechnic. I will need this money by around August-September this year, so please if you can help me or if you know of someone who can help me to achieve my aim I will be forever grateful. If through your help I am able to get to Polytechnic I will never look down upon anyone who needs help, and I know that God will bless you abundantly.
This is just one story...
I am a man of 23 years. I grew up in a community in the Western Region of Ghana. When I was growing up I thought life was fun and simple, never thought of anyone having problem and needed someone to help them. The reason was that my parents were providing for my needs, but as time went by things started to change especially when I was in the Junior Secondary School because my father lost his job and life became very difficult. I would sometimes go to school without food not too mention with no money to pay my school fees or registration fees for my final examinations. By the grace of God and through the struggle of my parents, I paid the registration fees and wrote my exams when I was fifteen in 1999.
My exam results came and I was amongst the first five students who did well in my school! All the schools that I chose selected me but there was no money for me to continue my schooling. I was sad because since those who did not do as well as I did started school and I was staying in the house thinking of what I could do to become an electrical engineer – since that is what I decided I want to be as my profession in life. My father tried all the means but to no avail, he decided to take me to a friend of his as a apprentice to learn a trade as an electrician. I went and the saddest part was that my father was told to pay an amount of 20 Ghana Cedis (about $20) for me to start but he could not provide that money. My master had pity on me in the beginning but sacked me on several occasions and commanded me to do a lot of extra work like washing his clothes, including his wife and children’s clothes. I would also have to walk everyday from my community to wash his car at 5am. I would sometimes walk from my place to Takoradi with no food in my stomach and in the evening too. I completed the apprenticeship and served for another two years making it five years total. (The additional two years were because we could not pay the money in the beginning.)But eventually my Father paid the money and I was given a certificate and now I am a master. Interestingly, I never thought of people suffering in this world and never thought of what I can do to help those people who were suffering.
When I completed I decided to go to a Training Centre to learn more about electricals. Now this is when life became very difficult since my father totally lost his job. I had to walk from the house to school(about 5 miles) with no food to eat, but I was determined to achieve my goal and succeed in school. I had no money to pay my school fees or my registration fees. Several times I was sacked from school but I returned secretly to sit in the classroom and study. When I was about to finish my schooling things started to get worse. My father became very sick and was forced to sell all of the things he had worked for over the years, but to no avail. Since I was the oldest among my sisters I decided to get a job to help my father to get well. I got a job in my Auntie’s shop and she was paying me 50 pesewas a day. (about 50 cents) After work instead of using this small money for food and transport costs I would go and buy corn dough from the market for my family to eat because since the morning time they had had nothing to eat. Due to this my sister who was in her second year had to stop schooling and stay in the house to take care of my father. I went on working like this for some time until one day I came home to find my father dead on the 6th of July 2006. I was very disturbed since we didn’t have enough money to bury my father. But God was good to us and through the help of my father’s friends we were able to provide him with a perfect burial. During the funeral many people gave our family money so that we might not suffer, but my Auntie took and spoiled all of it. I was furious with her because when my father was sick my mother went to her for help and she gave us nothing.
From that time on I started to experience what life is. Life has not been easy at all and I am really struggling to take care of my mother and two sisters. I sometimes sit down and ask myself if I was born to suffer. I decided that I would stow away on a ship to anywhere and if I died I died and if I survived I survived.
Fortunately, I ended up getting a job at the school I attended where I make 30 Ghana cedis a month. (about 30 dollars a month) It isn’t enough to survive but by getting other small jobs I am able to provide for my mother and sisters, both of whom are schooling. Even though life is difficult, I know that my redeemer lives and with God all things are possible to those who believe in Him. Though this life is difficult I have finally realized that there are many people who are facing problems which are more difficult than mine, and now I try to spend my time thinking of how I can help those people…I know a time will come when I will be able to help those people.
My exam results came and I was amongst the first five students who did well in my school! All the schools that I chose selected me but there was no money for me to continue my schooling. I was sad because since those who did not do as well as I did started school and I was staying in the house thinking of what I could do to become an electrical engineer – since that is what I decided I want to be as my profession in life. My father tried all the means but to no avail, he decided to take me to a friend of his as a apprentice to learn a trade as an electrician. I went and the saddest part was that my father was told to pay an amount of 20 Ghana Cedis (about $20) for me to start but he could not provide that money. My master had pity on me in the beginning but sacked me on several occasions and commanded me to do a lot of extra work like washing his clothes, including his wife and children’s clothes. I would also have to walk everyday from my community to wash his car at 5am. I would sometimes walk from my place to Takoradi with no food in my stomach and in the evening too. I completed the apprenticeship and served for another two years making it five years total. (The additional two years were because we could not pay the money in the beginning.)But eventually my Father paid the money and I was given a certificate and now I am a master. Interestingly, I never thought of people suffering in this world and never thought of what I can do to help those people who were suffering.
When I completed I decided to go to a Training Centre to learn more about electricals. Now this is when life became very difficult since my father totally lost his job. I had to walk from the house to school(about 5 miles) with no food to eat, but I was determined to achieve my goal and succeed in school. I had no money to pay my school fees or my registration fees. Several times I was sacked from school but I returned secretly to sit in the classroom and study. When I was about to finish my schooling things started to get worse. My father became very sick and was forced to sell all of the things he had worked for over the years, but to no avail. Since I was the oldest among my sisters I decided to get a job to help my father to get well. I got a job in my Auntie’s shop and she was paying me 50 pesewas a day. (about 50 cents) After work instead of using this small money for food and transport costs I would go and buy corn dough from the market for my family to eat because since the morning time they had had nothing to eat. Due to this my sister who was in her second year had to stop schooling and stay in the house to take care of my father. I went on working like this for some time until one day I came home to find my father dead on the 6th of July 2006. I was very disturbed since we didn’t have enough money to bury my father. But God was good to us and through the help of my father’s friends we were able to provide him with a perfect burial. During the funeral many people gave our family money so that we might not suffer, but my Auntie took and spoiled all of it. I was furious with her because when my father was sick my mother went to her for help and she gave us nothing.
From that time on I started to experience what life is. Life has not been easy at all and I am really struggling to take care of my mother and two sisters. I sometimes sit down and ask myself if I was born to suffer. I decided that I would stow away on a ship to anywhere and if I died I died and if I survived I survived.
Fortunately, I ended up getting a job at the school I attended where I make 30 Ghana cedis a month. (about 30 dollars a month) It isn’t enough to survive but by getting other small jobs I am able to provide for my mother and sisters, both of whom are schooling. Even though life is difficult, I know that my redeemer lives and with God all things are possible to those who believe in Him. Though this life is difficult I have finally realized that there are many people who are facing problems which are more difficult than mine, and now I try to spend my time thinking of how I can help those people…I know a time will come when I will be able to help those people.
...................................
What I love about Ghana is the natural beauty of the place and the peace that exists between all its people.
What I love about Ghana is the natural beauty of the place and the peace that exists between all its people.
....................................
I am proud to be a Ghanaian, because this is the country that God has made me part of. Since I was born up to this time there has been peace. All people who visit Ghana experience the great sense of hospitality exhibited by all Ghanaians. This makes me proud.
.....................................
Some of the things of which I don’t like about being a Ghanaian are that a lot of people have money mainly politicians, so called religious men, and well to do business people who have the means to help those who are in need, those who are helpless and they do nothing. Sometimes when these helpless people show up at their door they throw them away and humiliate them.
Some of the things of which I don’t like about being a Ghanaian are that a lot of people have money mainly politicians, so called religious men, and well to do business people who have the means to help those who are in need, those who are helpless and they do nothing. Sometimes when these helpless people show up at their door they throw them away and humiliate them.
.....................................
I have always wanted dreamed of becoming a God fearing man and secondly to continue my education and achieve my aim of becoming an electrical engineer and thirdly to help those who are in need, the helpless in my society.
The major obstacles in my way is the fear that I will not be able to achieve my ambitions since I don’t have the money and this is the main problem I am facing now. And I will take this opportunity to ask you something. Please, my friend I need an amount of 5 million cedis, about 500 dollars to further my education at Takoradi Polytechnic. I will need this money by around August-September this year, so please if you can help me or if you know of someone who can help me to achieve my aim I will be forever grateful. If through your help I am able to get to Polytechnic I will never look down upon anyone who needs help, and I know that God will bless you abundantly.
...................................
If I could teach the people of America one thing in life it would be not to look down upon the poor people of Africa and thinking that they are worthless. Because people think that when you are poor you are nothing, you are of no use whether old or young, and nothing good can come from you. When I experience this I can’t stand it because I think something good can come from anyone if somebody is ready and willing to help those people.
And I believe that help is giving to the poor is not wasted because the Bible says “if someone gives something to the poor that person has given it to God and He will pay that person more than what he gave in kind.” So we must do all we can to help these people.
If I could teach the people of America one thing in life it would be not to look down upon the poor people of Africa and thinking that they are worthless. Because people think that when you are poor you are nothing, you are of no use whether old or young, and nothing good can come from you. When I experience this I can’t stand it because I think something good can come from anyone if somebody is ready and willing to help those people.
And I believe that help is giving to the poor is not wasted because the Bible says “if someone gives something to the poor that person has given it to God and He will pay that person more than what he gave in kind.” So we must do all we can to help these people.
Just Beyond Hamattan
About a few weeks ago the Hamattan season finally came to an end. The Hamattan is the dry season here in Ghana. Let me tell you it was dry! In the beginning it was wonderful. The winds started blowing from the North and everything was cool. I mean I would find myself shivering at night and after my morning shower.(BTW my classrooms at Skills were often times smelling rather foul because the boys didn’t want to bathe in the cold air. It may have saved them some discomfort but in the long run we all suffered.)
Of course it was pretty darn funny that I found the weather so cold when it never really got colder than an average Fall day in the Mid-West. I realized how good it is that I will be returning to the U.S. during the summer. I think I would die if I came back in the winter, or just get sick immediately.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to the dry season. Yep, you guessed it! It is unbelievably dry. Because the winds bring with them tons and tons of dust from the dunes of the Sahara desert. This dust blows over all of West Africa and even reaches over the ocean to parts of South America. The dust gets everywhere. You can wipe your window clean and five minutes later there will be a brand new layer of dust there. When you drive around town you can’t believe the condition of some of the cars, the ones that are out of commission. They look as if they have been just recently exhumed.
Everybody suffers from colds during the dry season. You will see people using all sorts of products to keep their nasal passages moist, but most of the time it is all in vain. Everything just dries out and you end up with bloody noses and cracked lips. It can be a dreadful ordeal depending on where you live. The further north you go in Ghana the worse it will get. On days when the Hamattan was heavy all the way down here in the Western Region I could only imagine how the people suffered up in the Northern Region as well as the Upper Eastern and Upper Western Regions.
All the while during this wretched weather school was going on and things were going well in the classroom. It is so funny how in the beginning I never thought I would learn all the names of the students, but now I know so many, more than some of the other teachers I believe. Of course, it took time. Because of the new reform I am spending much more time with the first years. Instead of having English once a week we now have it three times a week. On Mondays we do reading and spelling work, on Wednesdays we do grammar, and on Fridays we do reading comprehension and essay writing. I am pleased with their performances, but it will take an act of God to get all of the assignments in on time.
The problem is so many of the students miss at least one day of school a week. Some miss whole weeks of school without notifying anyone. We have no idea why they miss school sometimes and when I ask I assume they are telling the truth. Sometimes they have to leave and work for a while so they can pay for school or so they can help out their family. Sometimes they just don’t feel like coming to school. Most times they are sick. It is quite a slap in the face when you realize how difficult it is to learn when you are sick so often. But we use the time we have together as best as we can….I think they enjoy themselves.
I did a couple of small projects earlier this term. I brought a world map from home and I purchased a Ghana map, a West Africa map, and an Africa map to put up in the Library/Staff Room. With the help of a couple of the Carpentry teachers, Br. Mathew Sabogu and Mr. Paul Damoah, we were able to make the inexpensive maps look quite nice in some glass enclosed frames. (I wanted to make sure that they last through a few Hamattan seasons.) I try to make use of the maps in my classes as much as possible. The boys really love looking at those maps and gaining a more accurate picture of how the world is arranged.
My other project was to refurbish the small library that we have for our students. It is made up of fiction books that I read during high school. From what I understand they were all donated by Br. Tom Dillman. We also have a rather large selection of reference books including a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. Unfortunately, the reference books are all dated and are not in the best of shape…but it’s something. So after reorganizing the library at Skills I began distributing books to all of my different English students in Forms one, two, and three. Some might think I am crazy to give these boys the books since they aren’t famous for their responsible behavior, but it’s better than letting them just sit there to collect dust.
I think that the boys have become quite used to my style of teaching. They ask questions freely now, which is great, whereas before they we just sit in silence and say “YES BRO” “NO BRO”
I have never been interested in discipline, but sometimes I have no choice. Mainly I have resorted to corporal punishment and made the boys do push-ups like crazy. Other times I just throw them out of class and tell them that if they want to come back they need to write me a letter explaining why they think they should be allowed in back in the classroom. One time I threw a kid out and gave him those directions. He looked at me with his puppy dog face and begged me to let him stay, but I sent him out.(He deserved it don’t worry.) Anyway, I wondered where he went to so I walked outside the classroom and he was nowhere to be found. I walked past the next classroom down and there he was sitting in the empty classroom writing his letter furiously. It was a great feeling.
These boys can definitely be troublesome, but one needs to realize that they do need extra attention. Many of them could really benefit from some professional counseling(true of us all) and although none of us are licensed counselors we try our best to help these boys who are underdogs in every sense of the word.
It is almost March now and the weather is HOT! We haven’t had any rain for about three months save for a couple showers here and there.(When I say a couple I really mean it.) Time is flying and I have become immersed in the life here it is sometimes hard to imagine what it was like back in the U.S. I try not to spend too much time thinking about that now; there is still quite a bit of work to do here. Quite a bit.
Thanks for reading.
Of course it was pretty darn funny that I found the weather so cold when it never really got colder than an average Fall day in the Mid-West. I realized how good it is that I will be returning to the U.S. during the summer. I think I would die if I came back in the winter, or just get sick immediately.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to the dry season. Yep, you guessed it! It is unbelievably dry. Because the winds bring with them tons and tons of dust from the dunes of the Sahara desert. This dust blows over all of West Africa and even reaches over the ocean to parts of South America. The dust gets everywhere. You can wipe your window clean and five minutes later there will be a brand new layer of dust there. When you drive around town you can’t believe the condition of some of the cars, the ones that are out of commission. They look as if they have been just recently exhumed.
Everybody suffers from colds during the dry season. You will see people using all sorts of products to keep their nasal passages moist, but most of the time it is all in vain. Everything just dries out and you end up with bloody noses and cracked lips. It can be a dreadful ordeal depending on where you live. The further north you go in Ghana the worse it will get. On days when the Hamattan was heavy all the way down here in the Western Region I could only imagine how the people suffered up in the Northern Region as well as the Upper Eastern and Upper Western Regions.
All the while during this wretched weather school was going on and things were going well in the classroom. It is so funny how in the beginning I never thought I would learn all the names of the students, but now I know so many, more than some of the other teachers I believe. Of course, it took time. Because of the new reform I am spending much more time with the first years. Instead of having English once a week we now have it three times a week. On Mondays we do reading and spelling work, on Wednesdays we do grammar, and on Fridays we do reading comprehension and essay writing. I am pleased with their performances, but it will take an act of God to get all of the assignments in on time.
The problem is so many of the students miss at least one day of school a week. Some miss whole weeks of school without notifying anyone. We have no idea why they miss school sometimes and when I ask I assume they are telling the truth. Sometimes they have to leave and work for a while so they can pay for school or so they can help out their family. Sometimes they just don’t feel like coming to school. Most times they are sick. It is quite a slap in the face when you realize how difficult it is to learn when you are sick so often. But we use the time we have together as best as we can….I think they enjoy themselves.
I did a couple of small projects earlier this term. I brought a world map from home and I purchased a Ghana map, a West Africa map, and an Africa map to put up in the Library/Staff Room. With the help of a couple of the Carpentry teachers, Br. Mathew Sabogu and Mr. Paul Damoah, we were able to make the inexpensive maps look quite nice in some glass enclosed frames. (I wanted to make sure that they last through a few Hamattan seasons.) I try to make use of the maps in my classes as much as possible. The boys really love looking at those maps and gaining a more accurate picture of how the world is arranged.
My other project was to refurbish the small library that we have for our students. It is made up of fiction books that I read during high school. From what I understand they were all donated by Br. Tom Dillman. We also have a rather large selection of reference books including a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. Unfortunately, the reference books are all dated and are not in the best of shape…but it’s something. So after reorganizing the library at Skills I began distributing books to all of my different English students in Forms one, two, and three. Some might think I am crazy to give these boys the books since they aren’t famous for their responsible behavior, but it’s better than letting them just sit there to collect dust.
I think that the boys have become quite used to my style of teaching. They ask questions freely now, which is great, whereas before they we just sit in silence and say “YES BRO” “NO BRO”
I have never been interested in discipline, but sometimes I have no choice. Mainly I have resorted to corporal punishment and made the boys do push-ups like crazy. Other times I just throw them out of class and tell them that if they want to come back they need to write me a letter explaining why they think they should be allowed in back in the classroom. One time I threw a kid out and gave him those directions. He looked at me with his puppy dog face and begged me to let him stay, but I sent him out.(He deserved it don’t worry.) Anyway, I wondered where he went to so I walked outside the classroom and he was nowhere to be found. I walked past the next classroom down and there he was sitting in the empty classroom writing his letter furiously. It was a great feeling.
These boys can definitely be troublesome, but one needs to realize that they do need extra attention. Many of them could really benefit from some professional counseling(true of us all) and although none of us are licensed counselors we try our best to help these boys who are underdogs in every sense of the word.
It is almost March now and the weather is HOT! We haven’t had any rain for about three months save for a couple showers here and there.(When I say a couple I really mean it.) Time is flying and I have become immersed in the life here it is sometimes hard to imagine what it was like back in the U.S. I try not to spend too much time thinking about that now; there is still quite a bit of work to do here. Quite a bit.
Thanks for reading.
GES and the Ghana Catholic Conference of Bishops
Ok, so I took quite a long time to deliver this blog regarding the new reform issued by the Ghana Education Service to all Senior Secondary, Vocational, and Technical education institutions. I did mention in the past that this new reform had been causing some commotion among the Catholic Community here in Ghana. These concerns were voiced by the Ghanaian Bishops many times over the months leading up to the commencement of the new reform.
So what was the big problem? Basically, the government attempting to control Catholic educational institutions. Catholic institutions around the world have all experienced the pressure from education ministries or government agencies at one point or another. So at one point or another all Catholic educational institutions have to stand up and say, “We are Catholic!”
At the Holy Cross Skills Training Centre, we teach a class called Religious and Moral Education(RME). Although, it is taught from a Christian perspective the class strives to explain the concepts of religion and morality in an objective way. As a Catholic institution we hold this class in high regard and stress the importance to our students on a daily basis. However, when the brand new and improved reform came out the RME class wasn’t anywhere to be found. What was there, however, were two new classes: Entrepreneurial skills and Information and Computer Technology. I found it quite interesting that all schools would be required to follow this reform even though they were given only 3 months notice and no financial assistance for the changeover.
Furthermore, since the new reform takes effect in January, and only for the First Year students, schools will be forced to be open all year round, not to mention they will have to function with two different class schedules. In fact, the oversights and issues created by this new reform have really showed me how detached the Ghana Education Service is from the actual condition of educational institutions in Ghana. Schools are overcrowded and understaffed. Schools don’t have the funds to obtain the technology needed to teach the ICT classes. Not to mention the fact that proper syllabi have not been made available in a great quantity or in a timely manner.
There was also a big row over GES appointing non-Catholic, and even non-Christian, headmasters at Catholic Schools. There have been many complaints from teachers that these headmasters are eradicating the Catholic identity of the schools. I wish I could give you a more detailed report about this issue, but this is all that I have for you right now.
Amidst all this conflict and confusion I will applaud the efforts of GES to reform Technical and Vocational schools. The greater emphasis on English, Math, Science, Entrepreneurial Skills, and Information and Communication Technology is an obvious effort to create a more holistic education for our technical students. I truly believe that this liberalization of technical education will create many opportunities in the lives of these young men. However, none of this will be able to happen unless technical and vocational institutions are able to equip themselves properly for this new reform. Meaning that all teachers need to take time to think about where this new reform will be taking students, all schools will somehow have to find funds to purchase computers and internet connection. Also, this kind of material might be over the heads of many young technical students some of whom can barely read, write, or speak English. In order for the reform to succeed schools are going to need to be staffed with highly devoted teachers who consider teaching their vocation not just a way to pay the bills.
We at the Skills Centre solved the RME problem quite easily. We just added it to the new reform. However, other schools have discontinued it entirely just because the “big” GES people removed it. GES also went as far as to say that Religion and Morals should only be taught in the home and in Church and that morality and religion are in no way academic subjects! WHAT?!
It is quite easy to see that there is a wide gap between what GES perceives the situation of technical and vocational education to be and what the reality of it is. Either that or they just don’t care. In the meantime, teachers and schools do the very best they can to provide students with the skills and knowledge to achieve something positive while education ministers drive around in luxury cars, paid for by the government, and sit in air conditioned offices.
It is important that you should remember that wonderful things happen in classrooms all over Ghana everyday! Good things are happening, however, improvements must be made.
(The opinions expressed in this article in no way reflect that of the Congregation of Holy Cross nor the Holy Cross Skills Training Centre.)
So what was the big problem? Basically, the government attempting to control Catholic educational institutions. Catholic institutions around the world have all experienced the pressure from education ministries or government agencies at one point or another. So at one point or another all Catholic educational institutions have to stand up and say, “We are Catholic!”
At the Holy Cross Skills Training Centre, we teach a class called Religious and Moral Education(RME). Although, it is taught from a Christian perspective the class strives to explain the concepts of religion and morality in an objective way. As a Catholic institution we hold this class in high regard and stress the importance to our students on a daily basis. However, when the brand new and improved reform came out the RME class wasn’t anywhere to be found. What was there, however, were two new classes: Entrepreneurial skills and Information and Computer Technology. I found it quite interesting that all schools would be required to follow this reform even though they were given only 3 months notice and no financial assistance for the changeover.
Furthermore, since the new reform takes effect in January, and only for the First Year students, schools will be forced to be open all year round, not to mention they will have to function with two different class schedules. In fact, the oversights and issues created by this new reform have really showed me how detached the Ghana Education Service is from the actual condition of educational institutions in Ghana. Schools are overcrowded and understaffed. Schools don’t have the funds to obtain the technology needed to teach the ICT classes. Not to mention the fact that proper syllabi have not been made available in a great quantity or in a timely manner.
There was also a big row over GES appointing non-Catholic, and even non-Christian, headmasters at Catholic Schools. There have been many complaints from teachers that these headmasters are eradicating the Catholic identity of the schools. I wish I could give you a more detailed report about this issue, but this is all that I have for you right now.
Amidst all this conflict and confusion I will applaud the efforts of GES to reform Technical and Vocational schools. The greater emphasis on English, Math, Science, Entrepreneurial Skills, and Information and Communication Technology is an obvious effort to create a more holistic education for our technical students. I truly believe that this liberalization of technical education will create many opportunities in the lives of these young men. However, none of this will be able to happen unless technical and vocational institutions are able to equip themselves properly for this new reform. Meaning that all teachers need to take time to think about where this new reform will be taking students, all schools will somehow have to find funds to purchase computers and internet connection. Also, this kind of material might be over the heads of many young technical students some of whom can barely read, write, or speak English. In order for the reform to succeed schools are going to need to be staffed with highly devoted teachers who consider teaching their vocation not just a way to pay the bills.
We at the Skills Centre solved the RME problem quite easily. We just added it to the new reform. However, other schools have discontinued it entirely just because the “big” GES people removed it. GES also went as far as to say that Religion and Morals should only be taught in the home and in Church and that morality and religion are in no way academic subjects! WHAT?!
It is quite easy to see that there is a wide gap between what GES perceives the situation of technical and vocational education to be and what the reality of it is. Either that or they just don’t care. In the meantime, teachers and schools do the very best they can to provide students with the skills and knowledge to achieve something positive while education ministers drive around in luxury cars, paid for by the government, and sit in air conditioned offices.
It is important that you should remember that wonderful things happen in classrooms all over Ghana everyday! Good things are happening, however, improvements must be made.
(The opinions expressed in this article in no way reflect that of the Congregation of Holy Cross nor the Holy Cross Skills Training Centre.)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Ok…so there is an epidemic of Football Fever in Ghana right now. 16 teams from all over Africa have gathered for the African Cup of Nations Football Tournament. Teams from Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Guinea, Senegal, Angola, and of course the hosting Black Stars of Ghana are all competing to become the Champion of the continent.
The excitement has been mounting for many months, however, it seems that all the preparation was in the last minute. You could see the main roads improving during the last year and of course the construction of the incredible new stadiums were finished on time, or close to on time, but as for the thousands of streetlights put up, all of the clean-up crews picking up rubbish all day long, and the new paint jobs on all the moldy buildings those were all done one month or less before the tournament began. In fact they were still putting in streetlights a few days after the tournament began.
It is quite obvious that this major cleanup process which spans most of the country, since there are stadiums in Accra, Sekondi, Kumasi, and Tamale, was only done to impress the Cup of Nations visitors. The money was always there to clean up the country, or at least parts of it, it just wasn’t being done. Interesting eh? Even more interesting to see which improvements are sustained.
Anyway, for a long time I was the one always saying how ridiculous it was for Ghana to be hosting this tournament, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on football when there is still a significant number of people dying every year from easily treatable diseases. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on football while children are crammed into public school classrooms 2 to a seat. Spending millions of dollars on football and boasting of Ghana becoming a middle income country when there are still significant numbers of Ghanaians who are illiterate or are just struggling to survive because of so few options when it comes to social assistance.
However….
the opening ceremony and the performance of the Black Stars thus far (3-0) has been really exciting. It really has been refreshing to have all the visitors around from all corners of Africa here with us. Many times during the tournament I have found myself feeling quite proud to be in Ghana at this time. It is a wonderful feeling to watch Ghana in the limelight. The place that will always have a special place in my heart. The place that has helped to shape me into the person I am is getting some attention from the world in a big way. It is a wonderful feeling when you see everyone gathered around a small television set at a kiosk watching the Black Stars or when you hear the villages singing all through the night after a big victory. This tournament is an excellent opportunity for Ghana to become more proud of herself. It is an excellent opportunity for Ghanaians to realize their potential and what they can offer the world.I am sure some of you would say that what I have shared is oversimplified, perhaps. Which perspective do you identify with?
The excitement has been mounting for many months, however, it seems that all the preparation was in the last minute. You could see the main roads improving during the last year and of course the construction of the incredible new stadiums were finished on time, or close to on time, but as for the thousands of streetlights put up, all of the clean-up crews picking up rubbish all day long, and the new paint jobs on all the moldy buildings those were all done one month or less before the tournament began. In fact they were still putting in streetlights a few days after the tournament began.
It is quite obvious that this major cleanup process which spans most of the country, since there are stadiums in Accra, Sekondi, Kumasi, and Tamale, was only done to impress the Cup of Nations visitors. The money was always there to clean up the country, or at least parts of it, it just wasn’t being done. Interesting eh? Even more interesting to see which improvements are sustained.
Anyway, for a long time I was the one always saying how ridiculous it was for Ghana to be hosting this tournament, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on football when there is still a significant number of people dying every year from easily treatable diseases. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on football while children are crammed into public school classrooms 2 to a seat. Spending millions of dollars on football and boasting of Ghana becoming a middle income country when there are still significant numbers of Ghanaians who are illiterate or are just struggling to survive because of so few options when it comes to social assistance.
However….
the opening ceremony and the performance of the Black Stars thus far (3-0) has been really exciting. It really has been refreshing to have all the visitors around from all corners of Africa here with us. Many times during the tournament I have found myself feeling quite proud to be in Ghana at this time. It is a wonderful feeling to watch Ghana in the limelight. The place that will always have a special place in my heart. The place that has helped to shape me into the person I am is getting some attention from the world in a big way. It is a wonderful feeling when you see everyone gathered around a small television set at a kiosk watching the Black Stars or when you hear the villages singing all through the night after a big victory. This tournament is an excellent opportunity for Ghana to become more proud of herself. It is an excellent opportunity for Ghanaians to realize their potential and what they can offer the world.I am sure some of you would say that what I have shared is oversimplified, perhaps. Which perspective do you identify with?
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