Ghana School Days
Ghana School Days
When I have the time I'm going to move items posted at
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ghanaschooldaz
to here because as far as I can tell the former lacks ftp which I need to link various items for easier reading. In the meantime here is most of it.
Introduction
28 July 2005
This discussion is directed to secondary school students and teachers, in Ghana and interested persons everywhere.
Are you able to find what you need to know about school options, courses of study, your academic and working future. Is the advice that you are given by teachers and councilors sufficient for you to make critical decisions? Are you being adequately trained for future jobs?
I believe that we learn more when we engage in three areas: teachers, books and fellow students. I hope that comments on School Daze Ghana by fellow students, teachers and the rest of us who were once students and often feel that we still are may be able to provide you with a lot of insight as to both your present studies and your future.
To enable specific commentary I have divided my initial posting into separate "comments" which can be individually commented upon. I hope that these will become "threads" and then "sub threads" if this gets interesting. I'll try to maintain a Threads Index on this Introduction page:
Introduction
Survey
Work
Cyber Cafes
An Evergreen Education Foundation For Ghana
Focused Discussion And You
Survey
28/07/05
Here is some preliminary feed back:
The dozen or so employers that I have spoken to list better reading, writing, arithmetic, English, and more science as being vital.
Several have indicated they would like to have workers who are more "disciplined." This is not surprising as the local press is always talking about instances of "in-discipine."
The parents of many students are farmers, traders and fisherman. They certainly know about hard work but may not know about work in modern retail, commercial and industrial establishments.
The economic growth of individuals, companies, and indeed of the nation all depend on people who want to work. Those who merely want "money" and a "job" hold things back. They raise costs and cut into profitability. Without people who really want to work business survival, your own job, and competitiveness in world markets are all at risk..
Students need to learn all they can about "character issues." Non punctuality, lying, and stealing militate against to the survival of the business where you work.
While some respondents were quite cynical about letters of reference one work shop owner explained how good references as well as the high regard of former employers enabled him to build a profitable and growing business.
My survey questions can be found at http://home.pcmagic.net/gpope . I wish to thank any employer's in advance for copying and emailing answers to these questions to me.
Work
26 July 2005
A financial officer at a company that makes soap mentioned a need to for Senior Secondary School graduates who are capable of running "scheduling" software applications which coordinates production, sales and shipping.
While there are not enough computing instructors in the country the build up is going forward. However it is my understanding that there are practically no instructors with industry experience lecturing in JSS, SSS and the Polly-Technical (trade) schools. They were removed from the educational system several years ago. Probably this was a mistake. Students may be handicapped if they are only exposed to trained professional teachers who may only know only about work inside class rooms while lacking experience out in the work-a-day world.
While I'm on this I have to repeat a story that I've heard from both youths and and a construction contractor. Because their pay is small some teachers are only half hearted in their teaching. Their students know that they don't care. This is the wanting money more than wanting to work syndrome.
Society places special trust in teachers. They betray both individual students, the parents of students who labor at trading, farming and fishing on the dangerous sea and indeed the nation itself. It shows a disconnect between what they are doing and the economy which has to grow before they can earn higher pay.
Cyber Cafes
26 July 2005
I have begun a survey of employer's experiences with graduates of Junior and Senior Secondary Schools. As in all countries these are a most important portion of the work force.
uly 2005
To me Cyber Cafes are nothing less than a National Educational Asset. However today many are an under utilized. Cyber Cafe owners need to find more customers in order to increase earnings and stay in business.
User groups might help. These are formed by people with special computing interests such as operating systems, drawing, programing, digital audio, photography and video. Notes as to what works and what doesn't can be compared in a friendly informal environment once or twice a month by people with who share interests. User groups are always open to "newbies" - the curious who may not have a clue but who do want to learn.
I'm told that there are teachers who still need to take their first steps into a Cyber Cafe! Find out from your student patrons who are their favorite teachers? Go meet them and explain what the net can do for their class work. Provide low fee user group style instruction on focused information searches for example using http://www.google.com and other searches engines.
An Evergreen Education Foundation For Ghana
26 July 2005
Actually the idea of this survey leading to scholarships and book purchases for school libraries was recommended to me by Professor Faith Chow, Mathematics Professor at Golden Gate University of San Francisco. Several years ago she and friends started the Evergreen Educational Foundation http://www.evergreeneducation.org/index.htm . They first determined what skills employers felt should be strengthened for JSS and SSS graduates on order to help inexperienced workers in rural NW China. Then they funded JSS and SSS scholarships ($30 and $60 respectively) for students who could not otherwise afford school. Then she got them to hire Evergreen students on graduation. A job in China is as important as it is in the US and Ghana. One's first job is his or hers first step up in the world of work.
I'll come back to with the details on man who started at the bottom and rose to a high level in the corporate world. He started out out on the green chain. Work here is almost the lowest paid jobs in a saw mill. This is where green lumber comes out of saw mill. People at these work stations strive to sort "upwards" according to the grading rules into the higher value stacks of lumber. In time he rose to the position of Chief Executive Officer of a forest products company that became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange during his tenure at this company.
Evergreen 's work was so successful that Gates Foundation (Microsoft) recently awarded a half million dollar grant (that this was their smallest ever! to Evergreen enabling them to expand this work. Professor Chow urged that we start an Evergreen Foundation For Ghana.
Focused Discussion And You
26 July 2005
This discussion can not happen without you. Please share your school experiences with us by commenting on what you read here on School Daze Ghana. However please also keep in mind that what you write to a web page may be read everywhere. Complaining is ok. Often it is necessary. But try to also list things that are or were helpful to you in school. This will aid teachers and administrators can strengthen the right things. And don't forget humor. Valuable insight can be gained from comical situations. How can we complain if you simply make us laugh?
Also please consider starting your own focused discussions across the net. This powerful means of publishing should not be left entirely in the hands of adults. What we are discussing here is too important to allow that to happen. What about foot ball for secondary school girls in Ghana? what ever? When you do please post a note to us. It will be greatly appreciated.
Like we always used to say, see you in cyber space.
George Pope
When I have the time I'm going to move items posted at
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ghanaschooldaz
to here because as far as I can tell the former lacks ftp which I need to link various items for easier reading. In the meantime here is most of it.
Introduction
28 July 2005
This discussion is directed to secondary school students and teachers, in Ghana and interested persons everywhere.
Are you able to find what you need to know about school options, courses of study, your academic and working future. Is the advice that you are given by teachers and councilors sufficient for you to make critical decisions? Are you being adequately trained for future jobs?
I believe that we learn more when we engage in three areas: teachers, books and fellow students. I hope that comments on School Daze Ghana by fellow students, teachers and the rest of us who were once students and often feel that we still are may be able to provide you with a lot of insight as to both your present studies and your future.
To enable specific commentary I have divided my initial posting into separate "comments" which can be individually commented upon. I hope that these will become "threads" and then "sub threads" if this gets interesting. I'll try to maintain a Threads Index on this Introduction page:
Introduction
Survey
Work
Cyber Cafes
An Evergreen Education Foundation For Ghana
Focused Discussion And You
Survey
28/07/05
Here is some preliminary feed back:
The dozen or so employers that I have spoken to list better reading, writing, arithmetic, English, and more science as being vital.
Several have indicated they would like to have workers who are more "disciplined." This is not surprising as the local press is always talking about instances of "in-discipine."
The parents of many students are farmers, traders and fisherman. They certainly know about hard work but may not know about work in modern retail, commercial and industrial establishments.
The economic growth of individuals, companies, and indeed of the nation all depend on people who want to work. Those who merely want "money" and a "job" hold things back. They raise costs and cut into profitability. Without people who really want to work business survival, your own job, and competitiveness in world markets are all at risk..
Students need to learn all they can about "character issues." Non punctuality, lying, and stealing militate against to the survival of the business where you work.
While some respondents were quite cynical about letters of reference one work shop owner explained how good references as well as the high regard of former employers enabled him to build a profitable and growing business.
My survey questions can be found at http://home.pcmagic.net/gpope . I wish to thank any employer's in advance for copying and emailing answers to these questions to me.
Work
26 July 2005
A financial officer at a company that makes soap mentioned a need to for Senior Secondary School graduates who are capable of running "scheduling" software applications which coordinates production, sales and shipping.
While there are not enough computing instructors in the country the build up is going forward. However it is my understanding that there are practically no instructors with industry experience lecturing in JSS, SSS and the Polly-Technical (trade) schools. They were removed from the educational system several years ago. Probably this was a mistake. Students may be handicapped if they are only exposed to trained professional teachers who may only know only about work inside class rooms while lacking experience out in the work-a-day world.
While I'm on this I have to repeat a story that I've heard from both youths and and a construction contractor. Because their pay is small some teachers are only half hearted in their teaching. Their students know that they don't care. This is the wanting money more than wanting to work syndrome.
Society places special trust in teachers. They betray both individual students, the parents of students who labor at trading, farming and fishing on the dangerous sea and indeed the nation itself. It shows a disconnect between what they are doing and the economy which has to grow before they can earn higher pay.
Cyber Cafes
26 July 2005
I have begun a survey of employer's experiences with graduates of Junior and Senior Secondary Schools. As in all countries these are a most important portion of the work force.
uly 2005
To me Cyber Cafes are nothing less than a National Educational Asset. However today many are an under utilized. Cyber Cafe owners need to find more customers in order to increase earnings and stay in business.
User groups might help. These are formed by people with special computing interests such as operating systems, drawing, programing, digital audio, photography and video. Notes as to what works and what doesn't can be compared in a friendly informal environment once or twice a month by people with who share interests. User groups are always open to "newbies" - the curious who may not have a clue but who do want to learn.
I'm told that there are teachers who still need to take their first steps into a Cyber Cafe! Find out from your student patrons who are their favorite teachers? Go meet them and explain what the net can do for their class work. Provide low fee user group style instruction on focused information searches for example using http://www.google.com and other searches engines.
An Evergreen Education Foundation For Ghana
26 July 2005
Actually the idea of this survey leading to scholarships and book purchases for school libraries was recommended to me by Professor Faith Chow, Mathematics Professor at Golden Gate University of San Francisco. Several years ago she and friends started the Evergreen Educational Foundation http://www.evergreeneducation.org/index.htm . They first determined what skills employers felt should be strengthened for JSS and SSS graduates on order to help inexperienced workers in rural NW China. Then they funded JSS and SSS scholarships ($30 and $60 respectively) for students who could not otherwise afford school. Then she got them to hire Evergreen students on graduation. A job in China is as important as it is in the US and Ghana. One's first job is his or hers first step up in the world of work.
I'll come back to with the details on man who started at the bottom and rose to a high level in the corporate world. He started out out on the green chain. Work here is almost the lowest paid jobs in a saw mill. This is where green lumber comes out of saw mill. People at these work stations strive to sort "upwards" according to the grading rules into the higher value stacks of lumber. In time he rose to the position of Chief Executive Officer of a forest products company that became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange during his tenure at this company.
Evergreen 's work was so successful that Gates Foundation (Microsoft) recently awarded a half million dollar grant (that this was their smallest ever! to Evergreen enabling them to expand this work. Professor Chow urged that we start an Evergreen Foundation For Ghana.
Focused Discussion And You
26 July 2005
This discussion can not happen without you. Please share your school experiences with us by commenting on what you read here on School Daze Ghana. However please also keep in mind that what you write to a web page may be read everywhere. Complaining is ok. Often it is necessary. But try to also list things that are or were helpful to you in school. This will aid teachers and administrators can strengthen the right things. And don't forget humor. Valuable insight can be gained from comical situations. How can we complain if you simply make us laugh?
Also please consider starting your own focused discussions across the net. This powerful means of publishing should not be left entirely in the hands of adults. What we are discussing here is too important to allow that to happen. What about foot ball for secondary school girls in Ghana? what ever? When you do please post a note to us. It will be greatly appreciated.
Like we always used to say, see you in cyber space.
George Pope
posted by Ghana School Days at 3:18 PM
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