restructuiung education in ghana a case for reconceptualizing educational aims a thesis submitted

222 Pages·2000·11.52 MB·English

RESTRUCTUIUNG EDUCATION IN GHANA
A CASE FOR RECONCEPTUALIZING
EDUCATIONAL AIMS
Agnes Atia Apusigah
A THESIS
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO
May 1999
8 1999 Agnes Atia Apusigah
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GBSTRACT
This thesis examines three decades of educational reforrn in Ghana between
1970 and the present. Government reports and secondary literature reveal that Ghanaian
reformen sought <O democratize and transform education but largely failed in their
efforts. I argue that this failure stems from their adoption of development and
implementation strategies that did not encourage democratic negotiation.
Drawing upon Miller, Freire, and Dewey, 1 present a conceptual analysis of
democratic and transfomative educational aims. 1 argue that refoms which are
imposed extemally and do not encourage genuine democratic participation arnong al1
actors do not lead to meaningful change. Democratic negotiations require that
environments conducive to dialogue be created for al1 actors, that discourse reflects the
characteristics and conditions of the participants' lives, and that al1 system actors be full
participants to the process of change.
Aims talk, the alternative discourse that 1 advocate as the basis of future
ducational refom in Cbana, would facilitate democratic negotiations by requiring that
educational refonns become educational projects in the Freirean sense. As educational
projects, refonns would encourage critical dialogue during which participants would
problematize their socio-economic and political realities. Aims talk would connect
democratic means with dernocratic ends. Aims generated as part of such projects
would k seen as tentative; they would reflect the characteristics and conditions of the
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participants, and they would provide the grounds and foresight for periodic review.
Finally, aims talk would require that participants commit to dialogue that is moral and
transfonnative.
ACKNOWLEDGEh4ENTS
This thesis could not have been what it is today if it were not for the support and
encouragement of al1 the good people whom 1 encountered, directly and indirectly, and
who affected me in diverse ways duting my period of study in this university. To al1
these good people 1 owe gratitude and pray for God's blessings.
My utmost thanks goes to Canadian international Development Agency- Ghana
-
Program, Lakehead Universiîy, University of Cape Coast Ghana, and the Ghana
Education Service without whose assistance I would not have been able to pursue my
Master's program and complete this thesis. To al1 the good people involved with these
institutions I owe gratitude. Of special mention is the CIDA-Ghana Cornmittee in
Lakehead University and The Pro-Vice Chancellor of University of Cape Coast,
Professor J. Anamuah-Mensah, who nominated me for the program.
My sincerest appreciation also goes to Dr. Maureen Ford, who for my pend of
study here served as my academic advisor and supervisor of this thesis and who becarne
a very dependable friend. I am most grateful for the support and encouragement she
gave me especially when the going was tough. 1 am particularly thankful for her
friendship and guidance. She taught me to strive hard and to believe in myself. Thank
you very much.
Many thanks to Dr. R d McLeod who sewed on my thesis cornmittee. 1 am
particularly grateful to him for keeping his doors open for me at al1 times and most of al1
for the support he gave me during my pend of study here. My appreciation also goes to
Dr. Maryann Ayhf or agreeing to be my extemal examînet and to Dr. Robert Sweet for
agreeing to be the intemal examiner.
Many thanks also go to my wondefil families for making my stay here
interesting in many ways. My sinceres: gratitude goes to Dr. and Mrs. Fentey Scott, Mr.
and Mrs. Sig Schraeml and Mrs. Paula Ojala. You have been very good to me. You gave
me a family to depend on while studying here. God bless you.
To my family back home. 1 thank God for giving me someihing to !ive for. 1 am
most gratefbl for your prayers and support and. particularly for your always being there
for me. I am thankfùl to my mother and my son for letting go of me at a critical tirne. 1
am panicularly grateful to Francis Atambire, Simon Alangde, Stephen Atia-neere and
David Ayamga for their moral support and for holding the fort in my absence.
My sincerest appreciation also goes to al1 the good people that 1 met on the
program as faculty, staff and fellow students. 1 am particularly thankful to Professors
Tom Puk, Fiona Blaikie. Anne Waters, and Marta Vargas. Others are Uta Hickin, Diana
Mason, Lise Bilec and Rhonda Mackay.
To my best fkiend Sabata Baya and her hby, little Ruta, 1 say what will 1 have
done without your support. It was good knowing and sharing my life in Thunder Bay
with you. 1 am particularly gratefbl to you for letting me into your life. God bless you.
Finally to al1 the CIDA-Ghana and othcr Afican students with whom 1 shared
part of my stay in Thunder Bay I say many many thanks.
Any erron, mistakes or misrepresentations in this thesis are entirely mine.
Agnes A. Apusigah

...............................................................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION 81
................................... .....................................................................................
TRANSMISSEIDVUEC ATION ,., -85
John P. Miller. ........................................................................................................................................... 86
..............................................................................................................................................
Paulo Freire -90
.......................................................................................................................
TRANSFORMATEIDVUECA TION 96
John P .M iller ............................................................................................................................................ 97
.............................................................................................................................................
Paulo Freire 103
...............................................................................................
DEWEYAANNA LYSIS OF EDUCATIONAL AIMS 123
...............................................................................................................................................
Education 1 24
..................................................................................................................................
Educational aims 1 3 8
...........................................................
SUMMARY AND IMPLlCATlONS FOR THE REFORM PROCESS IN GHANA 149
......................................................................................................................................
CHAPTER FOUR 1 54
.........................................................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION 154
...........................................................................................................
TOWARAD D EFlNtTlON OF AlMS TALK 158
.........................................................................................................
A MORAL CONTEXT FOR AlMS TALK 160
.....................................................................................................
Talk as a transfomative engagement 162
.............................................~.............................~....................................................................
Mora1 talk 171
.........~...........................................................................~..................
BARRIERTSO AIMS TA LK CN GHANA 1 7 9
.......................................................................................................................................
Extemal Conml 180
. . .
..............~.~~............~............................................................................................................
Intun~datlon 181
............................................................................................................................................
Manipulation 181
........................................................................................................
Premature foncIosure of outcornes 1 84
...............................................................
POTENTIAL OF AIMS TALK FOR GHANAIANE DUCATIONAL REFORM 185
...............................................................................................................
Smountin~th e barriem to îak 187
................................................................................................................................................
CONCLUSION 195
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............................................................................................................................................
REFERENCES 199
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................. 205
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
Three waves of refonns have characterized the last three decades of Ghanaian
educational history. These refoms have included the Dzobo Reforms of 1975, the
Anfom refoms of 1987 and, for the purposes of this thesis, the Basic Sector
Improvement Programme also known as the Free Compulsory and Universal Basic
Education reform (ongoing). These reforms were embarked upon to improve the
education system in ways that would reflect the educational needs of a fast growing
Ghanaian society. Basically, they involved the restnicninng of the content and structure
of education in order to provide a democratic education for al1 Ghanaian children. As a
composite of this democratization drive, classrooms were to shiR from the use of
transmissive practices to the use of transfomative methods.
The refoms were embarked upon against a background of an education
system which had been described variously as dysfunctional,
undemocratic, oppressive, and imflicient (Ghana, 1966a; Fobi, Koomson
& Godwyll, 1995; Education Commission (EC), 1986; Education
Advisory Cornmittee (EAC), 1972). Policies were drawn to address these
problems and reflect the new emphasis; however, as shown in this thesis,
they did not impact pmctice. This thesis has ken inspiml by a need to
address the factors that have contributed to the disrnal performance of the
refoms.