Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Ghana’s Minister of Education, has underscored the urgent need for a shift away from apprenticeship-produced leadership in the country’s education system. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of fostering purposefully trained leaders with a strong commitment to improving learning outcomes.
Addressing a gathering during the launch of the National Education Leadership Institute (NELI) in Takoradi, Dr. Adutwum pointed to a sobering 2022 National Standardized Test that assessed the reading abilities of Primary-2 students. The results revealed a distressing statistic: a staggering 62% of primary-2 pupils were unable to read. This alarming situation was a marked decline from the already dire state in 2015 when only 2% of Primary-2 students demonstrated the ability to read.
Dr. Adutwum expressed his disappointment with these findings, stating unequivocally that such a state of affairs was unacceptable. He called for a renewed commitment to nurturing a new generation of education leaders deeply invested in improving educational outcomes for Ghana.
Highlighting the inadequacies of the apprenticeship system in producing effective leaders, Dr. Adutwum stressed the importance of accelerating progress in education leadership. He cited the Wesley Girls’ experience as a model to emulate, emphasizing the critical role that the National Education Leadership Institute (NELI) plays in achieving this goal.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Adutwum reiterated the necessity of combining traditional apprenticeship with formal education and training. This, he emphasized, was the key to understanding and implementing effective strategies for improving education in Ghana.
Leave feedback about this