IS THERE DIVERSIFICATION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN GHANA’S EDUCATION??

Any discussion of diversity in higher and Tertiary Education would be incomplete without connecting the conversations to broader aims of the institutions. Universities are founded to pursue knowledge, provide knowledge to a select and willing populace (Students) within its community. In Ghana greater demands for and application of knowledge is touted to be the driving force for the expansion in the education sector.  Thus there is the need for more inclusive learning enrolment, where scholars and students develop and share their intellectual resources in more efficient and timely ways. Allen et al (2006) suggests that to attain diversity, educators need to assess continually the current landscape –success and challenges – as well as future possibilities for an educational institution. The caution here is that in order to forge a more effective tertiary institution, there is a need to model them on an inclusive learning community where policy settings that results in only short-term outcomes decoupled from holistic, long-term transformations are avoided.

The Stony Brook University emphatically point out that, in the development of programs, it would behove on the educator to first, develop an understanding of how different disciplines define, acquire, and organize knowledge; second, to enhance understanding of Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian cultures as well as their reciprocal influence on each other; third, to provide a basis for an examination of values; fourth, to develop analytic, synthetic, linguistic, computational, communication, and information-gathering skills useful for lifelong learning; and, finally, to provide a common foundation for wide-ranging dialogue with peers on issues of significance. Such considerations will encourage students to develop a critical and inquiring attitude, an appreciation of complexity and ambiguity, a tolerance for and empathy with persons and groups of different backgrounds or values, and a deepened sense of self. In short, the goal of the diversity in education is to prepare students to appreciate and be able to function effectively in an increasingly complex world.

Differentiated instruction is the backbone of good teaching. Although every child can benefit from this type of instruction, it is vital for students with learning disabilities. Differentiation can be done in both inclusive regular classrooms, collaborative classrooms, and special education classrooms. Appropriate instruction can ensure that a child is educated in the least restrictive environment necessary to implement her individual education program. Learn more about differentiated instruction.( Logsdon, 2008)

Differentiation happens in a heterogeneous classroom. In such a classroom, students are arranged according to the ability-appropriate assignments they receive at the end of the lesson. Theoretically, students even have some choice in the assignments they complete; they might select the assignment that appeals to their learning strengths and interests. In this best-of-all-worlds "differentiated" scenario, lower-ability students stand to benefit from learning sparks thrown off by higher-level students.(Fischer, 2004)

Having presented the reader with the above explanations on Diversification and Differentiation, I wonder if he/she can assertively identify any of its components in any of Ghana’s Educational Institutions.

World University Rankings: The African Performance.

The Education of a country in the 21st Century will greatly impact on the development of said country. Africa having metamorphosed from a colonial affiliate has progressed to quasi-democratic economies where capitalism rules and asset liquidation is the order.

Many times has this rich continent produced promising and liberation oriented persons. The National Geographic has several documentaries evidencing the role of the west (America and cronies) in assassinating, toppling or crippling (corrupting and sabotaging followers) of such persons. For Example, Patrice Lumumba, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Kwame Nkrumah, Oliver Tambo. It is a known fact that the unity of Africa will result in one strong continent capable of ruling the world. Given that this great continent has been subjected to several rules of tyranny and brutalities by the so called Western Powers, why would they not seek to ensure that it never unites? After all they have seen what African Revenge is like on an Africa-to-Africa correlation. Note I am no conspiracy theorist but some actions beg for questions and these questions need answering. But I digress. This piece is on Education and not Economic Politics

I chanced on the World University Rankings for 2012/2013. Africa is only represented by two countries South Africa and Egypt. I was a bit surprised after all in a recent publication, I was informed that Kumasi Polytechnic was well ranked internationally and top in Ghana, 3rd in Africa. Also I knew University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology had good placements in the international rankings. Now just before you get ahead of yourself and jump on the "western world haters train" please note that all these rankings where Ghana or African Tertiary Education Institutions have placed appreciably are based on web presence. In practice then our universities are like pin-up gals who spend all day tweeting and facebooking just for popularity and not substance.

The Ranking Exercise undertaking by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings powered by Thomson Reuters are the only global university performance tables to judge world class universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The top universities rankings employ 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons available, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.

In a country where our average Tertiary Institutional publication is 20 per year (for reputable peer reviewed journals) and this even includes books one cannot fault such a ranking for not placing any Ghanaian Institution. Don’t get me wrong, Ghanaian Academicians of this era do publish, oh yes they do. The problem is they publish in Institutionally Self Established Journals. The articles are not subjected to stringent peer review. Editors for fear of being tagged “enemies of progress” allow shoddily put together articles to be published. KNUST has a term “2+1+3 Professor”.

In South Africa, the funding of a university is based on performance. In Ghana, the funding of a university is based on strike. Thus there is no correlation between funding needs and institutional mandates or performance.

If we as a country are to develop as we seek, we need to first of all have a properly coordinated educational setup. The United Kingdom, whom most Commonwealth Affiliates seek to emulate have retained the same educational structure for almost 500yrs however Ghana, has had several reforms and one Government White Paper which serves only as a reference material for academic writing rather than policy guide or practice guide. Performance Budgeting may be the way for Ghana and Africa as a whole. The Question is will the World Bank (USA BANK for Controlling Africa and Asia) allow the leaders of our country to engage such? I doubt it; for the strength of bank lies in its ability to engage paying borrowers. We may not be able to pay our debts, but we can always mortgage our resources after all batter trade is still valid.