Education curriculum must focus on skills devt, digital, numeracy – Prof. Gatsi
The country’s educational curriculum must be focused on practical skills development, digital skills, and promoting numeracy skills within an environment where access to technology is equitable throughout the country, the Dean of the School of Business of University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor John Gartchie Gatsi, has said.
“Our educational curriculum should reflect our intentions for reforms and educational outcomes,” he emphasised during the 72nd anniversary celebration of Keta Senior High Technical School at the weekend.
Speaking on the topic “Bridging the Generational Gap, Our Legacy, and Inspiring the Future,” Prof. Gatsi called for the development of a forward-looking curriculum that addressed current and future needs of the country.
He said China, Denmark, and Finland, among other progressive countries, were ensuring that their curricula were addressing today’s problems, finding solutions for the future, and determining how the future should be and Ghana could pursue same.
Prof. Gatsi indicated that the current generation was influenced by technology, so the government needed to make the education system, especially at the basic levels, technology-friendly in order to boost the creativity and innovation of our students and to enhance continuous learning.
Technology driven education, he stressed, helped students to access information and learning materials for themselves and share relevant information with others to consolidate collaboration among students and teachers.
In line with technology driven education, Prof. Gatsi called on the government to work towards developing smart classrooms to enhance the learning environment, close the technology gap among schools, address limited access to digital tools and invest in changing the inadequate Information Communication Technology infrastructure in schools.
Moreover, he said the government should effectively modernise and implement ICT policy and internet infrastructure in schools. School management committees and Parent-Teacher-Associations should prioritise ICT infrastructure and digital tools for schools.
“We can only leave a befitting legacy if we collectively build ICT/digital infrastructure, create efficient internet services, and involve the youth in all nation-building efforts. Let us create an educational system that encourages lifelong learning, develops skills, and embraces technology,” Prof. Gatsi explained.
The Dean of the School of Business of UCC raised the issue about the use of mobile phones in Senior High Schools, saying “We must take a second look at the use of phones as a learning tool within the broader discussion of technology as an enabler of learning and teaching in senior high schools.”
He stated that education and training were the best tools to bridge the generation gap occasioned by changes in technology, value systems, politics, and life expectancy.
“Allowing the younger generation to participate in governance at various levels, including ministerial, cabinet, Council of State, parliament, economic planning, technology, and policy committees, helps to bridge the gap because they prefer involvement over decision-making without them at the table,” he stated.
Prof. Gatsi thanked the management of the school for choosing him to be the guest speaker at the 72nd anniversary celebration and also encouraged the students of Ketasco to live up to the expectations of their parents.
“Building a productive economy that generates opportunities for young people is the best legacy to ensure a better future. We should build a productive economy which is inclusive to employ our people who completes SHS, tertiary bearing in mind an economy that does not create opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurial ventures is risky,” he emphasised
BY TIMES REPORTER
