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The Accra Daily Mail newspaper (in Ghana) has an interesting and impassioned article from a mathematics educator who would like to see an improvement in the state of mathematics and science education.

In “Improving Math and Science in Our School” [no longer available], Okyere Bonna reminds her readers that Ghana came 44th out of the 45 countries that took part in the TIMMS international mathematics survey in 2003.

Among the items in the article that caught my eye:

• The national primary school gross enrollment ratio was 81.1% in 2003
• To improve performance, “encourage in Ghanaian schools Take Home Tests and Group Study (or co-operate) learning” rather than 100% of marks based on exams
• While some schools may be blessed with great teachers and even examiners as well as other key educational resources like computers and text books, some schools in the rural areas may have no qualified teachers or no teachers at all; neither computer nor text books.
• The Ministry of Education must make syllabus available to all students and parents alike. It is only in our part of the world that the syllabus is a secret document. For instance I have tried in vain over 6 months to see the syllabus Ghana schools use. This is a shame to WAEC and the Ministry of Education. How do you expect our students to pass when they do not know what is expected of them?
• Ghana’s parliament must pass a law to make it mandatory for a library to be built for every community with a population of 10,000 or more.

Wow – I wish you well, Ghana. How can we help?

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