A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, says the current educational system needs to be reviewed.
He said the previous concept (O level, A level, and boarding) must be reintroduced to ensure effective teaching and learning in schools.
He attributed this to the fact that there was more discipline among students in the old system than in the current one.
In a conversation with Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, Ing. Kwabena Agyapong, who is a presidential aspirant of the NPP, assured that if voted to represent the NPP in 2024 as president, measures will be put in place to reintroduce the old system.
“We have been fated to be in the borders of Ghana. Where exactly we come from does not matter, and that’s why I still believe we should go back to the boarding school concept, the O levels, and the A levels. Something that eventually, if I’m fortunate to be elected president, I’ll sit with stakeholders and go back to it,” he stipulated.
He believes that the current educational system is to blame for the indiscipline among the youth.
He added that “I left home at 12 years old to go to Cape Coast, Mfantsipim School. You go and meet people who are 18. The discipline, the hierarchy, and the things that they teach you. So I’m talking about how the educational system used to forge discipline in our schools. I’ll do my best to bring it back.”
According to him, Ghana was forced by the international community to introduce the current educational system.
He believes the boarding school concept enables children to learn to inculcate other people’s cultures into their own. This, he said, helps to celebrate the country’s diversity.
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However, the former General Secretary blamed ex-President Jerry John Rawlings’ administration for agreeing to the western world’s changes in the educational system, claiming that it would never help Ghana.
He expressed his displeasure with the government for remaining dependent on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for aid.
Expressing his disappointment, Mr Agyapong said, “Today we’ve been talking about the IMF; I don’t think they’ve ever helped this country and will ever do. It’s sad that today, we have to go to the IMF for a program. Are we saying on our own we cannot discipline ourselves?”
Also, Ing. Kwabena Agyapong is of the view that the idea of ensuring children speak good English is important. He supports the initiative to make French language instruction mandatory in schools.
“…and I’m a supporter of that because language is for communication. Especially in Ghana, we should be learning French seriously. It should be compulsory because we’re surrounded by Francophones. So, it is important that, as part of our educational curriculum, French should be compulsory. It will be good for us Ghanaians,” he explained.
He entreated President Akuffo-Addo to give a listening ear to people like him who are passionate and have positive goals for the country.
Meanwhile, his purpose for running for office is to restore Ghanaians’ trust in political leaders.
Having served as Press Secretary to a president, he strongly believes he will overcome his other competitors, Dr. Bawumia, Alan Kyerematen, and Kennedy Agyapong, saying that “I have deeper roots than the candidates I’m competing against.”