User talk:Emmanuelwodewole

interesting times in Ghana
Justices are among the few who retire on their salary just to insulate them from insatiable desires of the world. So wonders what on earth could drive our justices to stoop that low to collect bribes....may be greed greed greed Emmanuelwodewole (talk) 20:48, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Mass Society theory
Illustrating Mass Society theory with examples

By Emmanuel Kwabla Wodewole

Mass Society theory is a belief that mass media is responsible for breakdown of social order. The elites in the society felt they were losing grip of power they wielded over the masses as a result of modernization. An example Hearst Yellow Journalism was cited as a promoter of unethical practices to “pollute” the mind of the semiliterate

Branlilanger (1983) says leaders in education and religion resented media’s power to attract readers using content they considered highly objectionable, vulgar, and even sinful. Mass Society Theory espoused several assumptions and I will illustrate 3 of them

Firstly, the theory says media has the power to subvert essential norms and values and thus undermined the social order. They felt the solution lied in bringing media under elite control. One phenomenon which has gripped our by neck is politics of insults in our media today. The elites including the President were victims. A caller had the effrontery to compare his president to a chimpanzee on radio. Nana Akufo Addo is daily branded in the media as “wee” smoker without any proof. In African setting, when neighbour is grieving over a lost, that neighbour is not mocked publicly. But a discussant on radio also had the effrontery to insult Former President Rawlings as the one who set his own house ablaze. The elites are beginning to fear the level our people are taking the press freedom to. The elite ask: where has respect for the elderly has gone? They fear our social norms and values have been crashed by modern mass media and something has to be done. It is not therefore a surprise to hear Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso call for return of Criminal Libel Law to check the excesses before the country, as he put it, plunged into war. He blamed the insanity in the media on politicians and journalist. His call fits in the domain of Mass Society Theory which advocates some measure of control of media.

The second assumption of the Mass Society Theory states that media have the power to reach out directly influence the minds of average people so that their thinking is transformed. Ghanaians witnessed the power of radio during the last general election in 2008. Radio Gold and Oman F.M spewed spurious messages at different times to NDC and NPP supporters respectively; accusing the other party was in bed with Electoral Commission (EC) to rig the election. The EC headquarters was besieged and had it not been the prompt response from security forces, different story would have been written today. This is the fear of our elites.

Thirdly, the theory assumes that once media transform people’s thinking, all sorts of bad long-term consequences result-not only bringing ruin to individual lives but also creating social problems on a vast scale (Marcuse, 1941). Today, armed robbery is rife on our highways. The Chronicle also reported this week that a boy in Tema in connivance with a vice principal of private JHS swindled a British philanthropist via internet. The boy posed as brilliant but needy student with scanned letter signed by the vice principal. Meanwhile, the boy is not a student anywhere. It is called “sakawa” But the, the question that arises in the wake of these crimes is, are the perpetrators of crime practicing what the watch or hear in the media or the media report only what goes on in the society? This is a Chicken-hen debate, which one is older?

In all these, who suffers? It is the individuals and society. This is the thrust in the message of Mass Society theory.

EDITING IS NOT JUST ABOUT CROSSING “t”s OR DOTTING “i”s.
EDITING IS NOT JUST ABOUT CROSSING “t”s OR DOTTING “i”s.

By Emmanuel Kwabla Wodewole

Just as crude oil has to be refined before consumption, news in its “raw” form also has to be refined for attraction and consumption. This calls for editing. Editing is the processing of information for publication in a newspaper. The prime aim of editing is to remove any obstruction which blocks or distorts the information in the newspaper. The editor makes use of everyday words which he craftily weaves to create the needed understanding. The aim of the editor is to express his writing clearly to the reader as in this quote “after you write, edit and remove the noise.”- Leo Babanta

Kauffmann (2006) says “Editor’s job is to breathe life into a film or video (newspaper) or to find and expose its heart and soul.” Kauffmann continues to say “a great editor is like a great chef. He puts together ingredients in a way that finds the viewer’s (reader’s) imagination, stokes the thoughts process and stirs the passions. In achieving this objective an editor has a myriad of activities to undertake to make newspaper a master piece. The first activity of the editor is to check correct spelling of names of persons and places grammar which includes subject-verb agreement, syntax, use of wrong words clumsy structure wordiness or verbosity clichés flowery language euphemisms

These are of paramount importance to any editor since any slip has dire consequences on the newspaper. Not only will it distort the information but also mislead. For instance, in attributing a story to Mr Kwame Mensah, and Mr Kwame Mansah is written. An editor is duty bound to notice the substitution of “e” with “a” in the surname. Similarly, a bad faulty grammar does not only distort the message but it also takes the reader’s attention from the message as he focuses more on the error rather than the message. Let’s look at this violation of rules of infinitive: “The president told his ministers to followed the laid down rules.” This can be very disruptive to the readers and embarrassing to the newspaper.

Likewise, it is the concern of the editor to check the accuracy of facts. The editor must as a matter of duty verify the “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “Why? and “How?” aspect of the news. Not only does he prevent possible defamation, but also a backlash which will put his credibility on line. Assuming a success story of Winneba is credited to Senya Beraku while a bad story of the latter is credited to the former. The backlash from the “victim” town could be anybody’s guess. In addition, before any “explosive” story goes out, the editor must satisfy himself that names of persons and places mentioned are factual to avoid a charge of defamation.

Again, space is of essence in newspaper world, hence it is the duty of the editor to make sure every story fits in a space allotted for it. This may sometimes call for cutting lengthy stories or providing fillers to short stories. In doing all these, the editor keeps his readers in mind not distort the story in any way. Gerald Bronmer says “in editing process, I delete what I do not want to use, move what remains around if necessary and add elements that I feel will make my visual statement as clear and understandable as possible”

Besides, sometimes stories arrive from different parts of the country on the same event. E.g. Celebration of National Farmers Day. As a result of inadequate space, the editor makes sure he combines these different pieces into a composite one. Similarly, sometimes reporters mix up facts and if left unattended, it will have the reader worse off. Editors have to rewrite these stories in orderly manner as Samuel Johnson says “What is written without efforts is in general read without pleasure”

Furthermore, headlines are first attraction to any news item in the newspaper and it can either turn on or turn off a potential reader and it is the prime duty of editor to coin appropriate and attractive headlines from the lead. Again, it is the duty of editor to work with page designers to plan as to how the newspaper’s layout will look and how photographers and text materials are interwoven for the newspaper to have desired impact on the eye.

Additionally, according to The Missouri Group (1988) editor is charged with enforcing deadlines so that newspaper comes out on time. Since news strives on timeliness it is imperative deadlines issues are taken seriously so that news does not become stale before it is released. I will conclude this article by saying editor’s duty is to polish wording of stories. On the use of language in general, simplicity is the key word for editors. Lor Chesterfield says “Every paragraph should be so clear and unambiguous, that the dullest fellow in the world may not be able to mistake it, nor obliged to read it twice in order to understand it.” Therefore, judging from above discussion, it will be myopic thinking on the part anybody to say editing is just about crossing “T”s or dotting “I”s. Yes, editor does that but that is only one duty among the lot.

Normative theory
Illustrating Normative theory with examples

By Emmanuel Kwabla Wodewole

Normative theory explains how media systems should operate in order to conform to or realise a set of ideal social values. It is based on explicit belief that there is ideal mode of operation based in the values of the social systems. Decorum in public discourse is one of such societal values. Today, it appears the role of the media of projecting the norms and values of the society is undermined.

On 6th August, 2011, an incident happened at Joy FM studios during news analysis programmed dubbed News Files. The discourse degenerated into “free for all insults” when Nana Akomea, NPP MP, Communication Director of the party, a panelist used unsavoury language “You are stupid fool” to describe Mr James Agyenim Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Tourism. This was as a result of the latter’s description of the former as “unintelligent”. The incident left sour taste in the mouth the listeners (society) and the barrage of criticism via phone text message, e-mail and face book summed up how Joy Fm and for that matter, media in general had failed them woefully. To them journalism in general has been debased in the country. The once cherished societal norm and value like decorum in public discourse is no more in vogue.

Three days later, both gentlemen had golden opportunity to apologise to the listeners but they refused. This equally drew public anger against Joy Fm which was giving a platform to two unrepentant public officials. The listeners (society) reminded Joy Fm that it had responsibility to project decorum in public discourse. And that society frowns on insults more especially if they are spewed by public figures on national radio live programme.

Consequently, on…..Joy Fm had to rendered unqualified apology to listeners (society) whose sensibility had been affected by the incident. Joy Fm promised to rise up to its responsibility to uphold societal values as stated by the Normative Theory. They reminded prospective panelists to be circumspect of the language they use their radio since management would blacklist offenders.

Joy Fm eventually lived up to its promise on 24th September, 2011 when host of the News File asked Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, Executive Director of the Danquah Institute to leave the studios if he failed to apologise to Dr. Omane Boamah unsavoury language. He refused and opted to walk out. Even though Gabby returned later to the right thing, the incident reiterated the role of mass media in upholding values of society as stipulates by Normative theory

SHORT STORY TITLED: WHO IS TO BLAME?
WHO IS TO BLAME?

By Emmanuel Kwabla Wodewole

It has always been my fervent prayer that when I die I do not want anybody to be accused of being responsible for my death. However, it appeared that evening that was what exactly my nephew was bent on doing. Yes, to give the opportunity to people to accuse me of killing him, possibly for blood money or juju money as it is called in a local parlance. How could I exonerate myself from the accusation when on daily basis the media reported of fathers, mothers, uncles, brothers killing their own for rituals in order to get wealth? Who at all would listen to my fairy tale that my nephew Earl, left home but failed to return and that I did not know his whereabouts? Absolutely, nobody!

What terrified me most was how my case looked exactly like one of the reports in the newspapers about how an uncle gruesomely killed his own nephew for rituals in order to get money. This uncle went to the village to ask his own elder sister to allow her son to come stay with him in the city.

One day, he sent the nephew to a juju man and that was last seen of the nephew alive except his decomposed body in another town. However, apart from the fact that the uncle failed to get rich, he kept seeing his nephew in his dream. He returned to the juju man who told him that his nephew’s ghost was troublesome and there was nothing he could do to scare the ghost. When the uncle got home, he committed suicide after leaving behind a confessional note. I went for Earl to come and stay with me in order to continue his education which had suffered many interruptions. His contemporaries were in Secondary school while he was still in a basic school. I blamed it on his dad who cared less about his child’s education making the boy stopped school. He ended up as a bus conductor. Earl had been with me for just 3months so he could not understand nor speak the local dialect. He told me at 11.30 am that he was going to his classmate who was a native so that they could go together to witness a local festival celebration. The time read 10.00pm but there was no sign of him. I had been to the classmate’s house for five times and the boy kept telling me he did not see Earl for the whole day.

My heartbeat began to rise to its unacceptable level. As someone who a doctor warned to be mindful of his heart because of possible heart-related disease, I knew I was in trouble. I lost interest in everything. Not even a live final European Champions League match between my favourite team, Manchester United and Chelsea could force me to switch on my television. I called my sister (Earl’s mother) on the phone. I called her phone four times before she responded. I surmised I woke her up.

“Yes, it’s me Emmanuel” I replied her.

“It’s too late, I told you I don’t like night calls.” She mumbled.

“I’m sorry sister, it’s Earl” I said.

“What about him?” I sensed agitation in her voice.

“He had left home and did not return home”

“What! When?”

“Today at around 11.00 in the morning…”

“Eleven in the morning! That’s scaring! So, what are you doing?”

“I don’t kno-o-w sister…”

“You don’t know? Your nephew gets missing all you can say is “I don’t know” She gets more agitated.

“Hello! Hello!! Hello!!!” I said but no response.

The call dropped. I saw “no signal” on the phone’s screen. I waited for some times but the signal did not come. I knew she might also be fighting hard to call me. Still there was no sign of my nephew.

I went to the local police station to report. At the police station, the officer on duty told me it was too late so there was nothing they could do help until the next day. From there I went to chief’s palace to make another report. The chief also promised to mobilise the youth to look for my nephew the following day. As I left the palace, I met three police officer at the gate ordered me back into the palace. I hesitated. They told me they received a radio message from their regional boss that the chief knew something about my nephew’s disappearance. That in a way fuelled the rumour in town that human heads were used in traditional rituals for the gods during this period. “So, was my nephew fell victim of this ritual? I thought.” I followed the officers to the palace. They picked the chief to the police station for questioning.

On my way back home, I heard my phone ring. I removed it and I saw that it was my wife who was calling me. I did not want to answer the call. I was not in a mood for any romantic night chats. But was that really the reason? May be that was not really the point. I did not want to inform her about the boy’s disappearance at this moment. I did not know how she would react towards that when she objected to the boy’s stay with me in the first place. The phone kept ringing over and over. I decided to answer the call but I would try as much as possible not to touch on the incidence at hand.

Then to outmost surprise I heard her crying on the phone. My heart jumped into my mouth. I plodded her to speak but the more I did, the more she sobbed. I tried to console her even though I did not have any idea about what was worrying her. But she kept sobbing and then resumed the cry. I got annoyed and cut the call out of frustration. However, I felt ashamed at once for not exercising patience to listen to her. I called her back and she was still sobbing.

“Please, sweetheart, you’re scaring me. Please, speak to me…” I coaxed her.

“It’s Auntie Adjoa” She managed to mumble this time.

“Auntie Adjoa!? How did she get to know your new number? I asked.

“I don’t kno-oo-w! She cried out.

There was no need to ask what Auntie Adjoa might have told or done to her and her family. I knew they would be biting insults from Auntie Adjoa. I did not understand why this woman hated my wife and her family so much. When I was planning to marry my wife, I went to Auntie Adjoa as my foster mother to inform her about the marriage. She led other family members to object to the marriage. She claimed my wife’s family members were rapacious and lazy to work as well. I ignored them and went ahead to marry my wife. Since then she had launched unrelenting attacks on my wife forcing her to seek transfer to another town. She consequently changed her phone line. My wife was still sobbing on the phone so I tried to comfort her to forget about those insults.

“Today, it’s not just the usual insults. She accused me of killing your nephew for juju money.

Please, darling what’s happening there?”

“Auntie Adjoa, accused you of killing my nephew? How?”

“Yes, she said I sent him for rituals…”

“Sweetheart, hold it there…” I cut in.

“But that was exactly what she said. Please, tell me exactly what’s happening there…” I was torn in indecision and I stopped talking. But I heard her screaming into the phone Hello, Hello, Hello.

“Yes, Sweetie, I’m here” I responded again.

“I’m asking you to tell me what has happened to your nephew”

“Well, Sweetheart, it’s true that…”

“Ee-e-i! Emmanuel, it’s true that I killed your nephew?” she jumped in.

“Stop it!…I say stop it!! Why do you put words in my mouth?” I raised my voice at her.

“Did I put those words in your mouth? You just said it is true…”

“Please, when I was speaking you didn’t allow me finish so you can’t conclude like that.”

“What’s more again to say after aligning with your aunt against me?”

I tried hard to cool off my wife in order to conclude my sentence but she would not budge as I sensed a great anger in her voice. Eventually, she cut the call and switch off the phone. I got home dejected and guess what! I saw Earl in the house.

“Where are you coming from?” I roared. “Bang” “Bang” “Bang,” I smacked his cheeks before he could answer.

“Answer me before I kill you!” I threatened him.

“From Konsasa” He answered me timidly.

“Did you tell me you were going to Konsasa or township?” I twisted his left ear and pinned him down. A woman in the next room rushed to his rescue.

“This boy scared me to my marrow” I told the woman. I let him go and he fled as though he was in a sprint race. I called him back quickly. I needed to know why and how he went Konsasa. Konsasa was a nearby town. He told me when he went to town; he bumped into a friend from our hometown. So he followed his friend to Konsasa and stayed there for such a long period. I ran back to the police station to report about the turn of event. However, the police arrested me for raising a false alarm. The chief heard the news of my arrest and came to the station to bail me. When we got to the palace, the chief also turned round to charge me for drugging his name and the traditional area in the mud. They charged me to present a ram and two bottles of whisky for pacification rituals the following day.

When I left the palace, I called my sister again and I heard Auntie Adjoa’s voice. I asked her to hand over the phone to my sister but she said my sister could not speak because she was at the hospital.

“Doing what?” I sounded alarmed.

“On admission” she said.

Auntie Adjoa told me when my earlier call to my sister ended abruptly, she collapsed and they rushed her to the hospital. She told me she (Auntie Adjoa) then called the Regional Police Command and my wife. I told her I found Earl and the mess she caused. She began to cry and I cut the call. I called my wife’s phone but nobody answered it. I kept calling the phone and it was the fifth one that she answered the call. I told her about the new development. “I thank God.”

This was the only thing she said and hanged up and switched off. I went over to her the following day to patch up any misunderstanding that cropped between us. I met her family at her house discussing the event of the previous day. My wife told me she was not ready to see my face. It took a great deal of her family members to persuade her to forgive me. The family then went ahead to slap a heavy fine on me.

The hospital authorities released my sister on the third day but the shock had had its telling effect on her up to date. She had become a schizophrenic patient. As I recount the harrowing experience, I keep asking myself: who is to blame for the mess I found myself in? Your guess is as good as my own.

Opinion piece: LOCAL LANGUAGE POLICY: what are the issues?
LOCAL LANGUAGE POLICY: what are the issues?

By Wodewole Kwabla Emmanuel

According to Anamuah Mensah Education Review Committee of 2007 report, “the issue of medium of instruction at the kindergarten and lower primary has been the subject of public debate in recent times.” This ranging debate has been among educationists, policy makers and the general public and there seems to be no consensus on it yet. While some believe the use of local language as medium of instruction at the basic level assist pupils/students learn better and help them acquire the English language well, others also see the policy as a counter-productive as it retards students’ performance in English language especially among public schools students.

In 2012, it was reported by Daily Graphic that  Hon. Samuel Oppong, the Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, had appealed to the Ghana Education Service to review its policy on use of local dialects in the kindergarten and lower primary. According to the Daily Graphic report the “policy was having a negative effects on children from public schools, who sometimes find it difficult to understand and use English Language at Upper primary and Junior High School”. In August, 2014, the media widely reported that the Minister of Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang had asked heads and teachers to desist from the use of the English language as the sole medium of instruction in the classrooms. The news report said the Minister “urged teachers to use the local languages as medium of instruction in the classroom and gradually introduce the English language…”

The issue of using local language as a language of instruction at lower level of education is bigger than what those who believe in its wholesale implementation want all of us to believe. They are certain inhibitions that make the wholesale enforcement of that language policy almost impossible. In the first place, Anamuah Mensah Education Review Committee specifically states that “where teachers and teaching and learning materials are available, local languages must be used as the medium of instruction.” Do the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service and extension the Government have “teachers and teaching and learning materials are available?” as recommended by the report? Well trained Ghanaian languages teachers are simply not enough in our basic schools to make the language policy possible. In addition, learning materials on various local languages are also not enough. There are also issues of cosmopolitan areas where different languages are spoken. There are teachers who are posted to areas that those teachers cannot speak the indigenous languages of the people. And how feasible would it be for the teacher to teach in that indigenous language? Eventually different languages of instruction would be used to teach the pupils at that level of our education which would not augur well for academic work.

The major problem of all problems is multiplicity of local languages in the country. As expected the Minister of education also had reechoed the usual rhetoric of emulating the success stories of Malaysians and Koreans who use indigenous language to educate their students especially at the basic level. But then, have we cared to find out how they achieved that great feat? The answer is simply adoption of one native language as a national language. Can that be said of Ghana? Until we decide as a country to have one local language as national language as Malaysia and Korea did we cannot look up to these countries as appropriate examples to emulate. For example Malaysia adopted one national language (Malay) to be compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools and in all training institutions. And as a compulsory subject, a satisfactory grade is required for promotion to the next level. Once again, do we have anything close to Malaysia and why should we pretend as though we have structures in place except teachers are not up to the tasks?

Interestingly, the Anamuah Mensah Education Review Committee was silent on the issue of adoption of one local language as national language to be used as medium of instruction. One rather sensed that the committee felt various major languages should be used as is being done already. The report recognised the multiplicity of local languages as a major drawback to the language policy. The reports said there are “serious limitations in the implementation of this policy, such as the multiplicity of local languages, lack of teaching and learning materials in the local languages and inadequate number of local language teachers.” The report consequently said “within a period of five years, the Ministry of Education and the GES should make the necessary preparations for a more effective implementation of the use of local language as a medium of instruction. This should include: The training of more local language teachers and the provision of teaching and learning materials.”

Anamuah Mensah Education Review Committee report has been implemented over five years now and how far can Ministry of Education and GES go to say they have addressed the issues for full implementation of the language policy? With regard to posting teachers the report said “emphasis should be on the production of more teachers in various local languages. In posting teachers to teach at the kindergarten and lower primary, their local language competence should be taken into consideration.”

I think the language policy should go beyond national pride as it seems to some of us that people only argue for the use of local language because they “fear” our languages would extinct. However, I believe this debate should be based on its relevance to child’s academic development. One question we should be asking ourselves is: why is it that private school pupils who are introduced to the second language (English) at that early stage tend to do well in English language in upper classes? The answer simply lies in the use of one language irrespective of it being local or foreign. In the private school the child is taught in one language i.e. English language just as Malaysian or Korean child is taught in one local language. However, in our public education system children are taught in multiple languages and that is why the public school child becomes deficient in the use English language in the upper classes. Recently, a survey on quality education had a damming revelation that majority (98%) of pupils in public basic schools of Ghana can neither read nor understand English or any Ghanaian language effectively. This was contained in National Education Assessment report. I doubt if private schools would record such a abysmal performance should a survey be carried with the same instruments of survey.

We must as people accept the fact that we have challenges and seek proper ways of addressing them. Since adoption of one local language as national language seems not to be the issue, it is my fervent belief that until we put proper structures in place as recommended by Anamuah Mensah Education Review Committee for realisation of the policy.

Opinion piece: Is the Senior High School Two or Three years?
By Wodewole Kwabla Emmanuel

Once again West African School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) results for 2015 were released by West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and all of us; educationists, parents, guardians, students and especially teachers literally scratching our heads to find out what really accounts for the continuous downward trend of our students’ performance in the said examination. Several arguments have been advanced for this situation and year in year out we do not seem to arrest the abysmal situation. We know of some our students’ disinterest in hard reading and studies but interest in leaked paper or “apor” on examination day. We are also aware that some schools do not have requisite teaching and learning materials like textbooks (some of my literature students finished the course without the buying some of the reading books) inadequate teachers vis-à-vis large class enrollment in some situations (we have over ninety students in a class sometimes). We cannot also not gloss over absenteeism and ineptitude among some teachers and complete lack of interest by some of the parents whose wards are in public schools to provide necessary learning materials for their wards because according to them “government said public school is free.

To put this in context, last term I was forced to call a parent who was not ready to buy one set book (story book for Literature) and his response was that he had since paid school fees and thought those “things” were free. Indeed it is free, indeed it would be free of knowledge (credit: Prof. P.L.O Lumumba).

In all these discussions, one striking thing that is missing is the contact hours between the teachers and students. I am talking about the number of years Senior High School (SHS) Students have to spend in school. This write-up is not about three or four debate. Rather interestingly, it is going to be about: is the Senior High School Two or Three years? According to Ministry of Education, the duration for SHS education is three years. That is from September to July constituting an academic year. In all, students must necessarily, spend nine terms from the date of admission to the date of completion. But the worrying question is; do our SHS students today spend three years is school? The answer is no!

The government, Ministry of Education, teachers, parents and any anybody who matter in educational affairs in this country know of this. That, our SHS students are spending only two years in school. It is a fact. Until such time we tell ourselves in the face that playing ostriches is enough, these poor results in WASSCE would continue to happen. I am not about to suggest only lost of contact hours is responsible for poor results, but it does play a significant role. If you do not have enough time to teach and finish recommended syllabus, the best the teacher would do include rushing through the topics, organise free or paid for extra class (we are even told government said no extra class whether free or paid for) or leave it as it is. As teachers we are struggling to two use two years to finish three-year work. It is simply difficult.

How did this two-year SHS come about? Let me illustrate. Over the past years, our first year students do not report to school at the beginning of academic year i.e. in September. For example, WAEC had just released Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) 2015 results while SHS had already spent two weeks already at time of writing this piece. If we are spending thirteen weeks for the term, the new students have just five weeks to acclimatise and leave for home. Placements are on-going and we have no idea when they would report to school. On average, it takes up to two months (eight weeks) for them to join their colleague seniors. In some extreme cases with regard to less endowed schools like mine,( schools that simply lack classrooms, teachers, laboratories, etc), they are forced to admit students in the second term. The pathetic story of these less endowed schools is that students who are placed in these schools by School Computerised Placement School System (SCPSS) simply do come for admission, unlike endowed schools where admission become very “hot” hence, they (endowed schools) sometimes have the luxury to give their applicants deadlines to report or to lose their admission status. You simply cannot do that in less endowed schools.

Sometimes, when the first years report to less endowed schools, because we do not have enough classrooms in the first term, what we do is to group them into two or three classes to be thought only core subjects of English, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies as we struggle to make makeshift classrooms for them. No elective subjects. So, my argument that it takes up to two months to admit first years might not be so in endowed schools. Therefore, this piece is meant to discuss less endowed schools since they are in the majority.

Having lost almost the whole term, these students have eight terms to study in school. However, in the third year, students spend the first term of the year for academic year. The second term is used to write mock examinations and the beginning of WASSCE and effectively, no third term. So, in effect, students lose three terms contact hours (constituting whole year) and this is why asked; is the Senior High School Two or Three years?

As I said earlier, our education policy makers are aware that our students are not spending exactly three years in school and I think it is about time we rose to check this. We cannot write it off by saying contacts hours cannot have effect on students’ performance in an examinations. What do we do then? How I wish I had the power to say let us make a U-turn to four years. Some of us felt that the change from fours to three years was unnecessary when we consider the lost contact hours I am talking about. But that is history.

I think that one way to address this problem is to look at the times students write both BECE and WASSCE. I am aware WAEC try to synchronise these examinations especially the WASSCE with tertiary admissions so that students do not need to stay home whole year before they continue school. So, by the end of May each or so WASSCE is over which is the third term. Marking follows so that, by the end of July or so, results are released for August admissions for awaiting results applicants at the tertiary. What WAEC can do in collaboration with other stakeholders is that WAEC must necessarily “give” us our second term and start the WASSCE in the last have of the third term. And in order to meet marking deadline, that would mean more assistant examiners must be employed to speed up the marking processes.

Alternatively, we must reconsider the current situation where we want our SHS graduates to enter tertiary institutions even on awaiting results basis. Most of the applicants to public universities each year are mostly previous years SHS graduates. Today, apart from public universities that run August-May academic calendar, most private universities start their academic year in October and some even in January. So the question is why do we want entangle ourselves to the extent that we seem to be “rushing” our students to their (students) detriment? In the case of first year admission, a lot needs to be done if we want our children to spend three years in SHS. There must be the need for WAEC to increase its assistant examiners workforce, School Computerised Placement School System (SCPSS) must also double their efforts, parents must be ready in all areas to send their wards to school early, schools must make adequate preparation to receive these first years in order to give some tuition before they leave for first term holidays.

I think that if we all see this current situation where our SHS students are spending only two years in school instead of the recommended three years, as a problem, and all of us come together to address it, we shall make some head way WASSCE results.

Poems Poems Poems
By Wodewole Emmanuel Kwabla

UNSUNG HEROES

We are the unsung heroes

Today, they are the sung heroes

We change is into was

Come into came

Yes, we add to subtract

We multiply divisions

We make vices virtues

Yes, we punish to receive insults

God’s messengers, we

Mould head, hand and heart

But today they are the sung heroes

And we remain the unsung heroes

THE KNOWN MYSTERY OF LOVE

I hear people cry laughter because of love

I see people go to open closed places in the name of love

I also watch others meet horrifying pleasant sights because of love

I am also told some eat tasty sour food for love

The rest also sleep at hot cold places because of love

Yes, we take permissible forbidden decisions in the name of love

People ask: why are you unfair fair love?

People demand: why are you ungrateful grateful love?

Still others continue: Is it wrong to love unlove?

I don’t do know, comes the answer

Really, love is bitter sweet

As it tastes sugar salt in our mouths

AN ELEGY IN MEMORY OF PROF. KOFI AWOONOR

(My own rendition of his popular poem: THE CATHEDRAL)

On this iniquitous land

a WELL once stood

quenching our literary thirst

its water flooded the globe

for all homo sapiens to know their cultural oneness.

Then emerged this blood sucking clique

to siphon the well

and its place erected

a world of anguish, teeth-gnashing, desolate, gloom

grieving, melancholy and lugubrious…

THE CATHEDRAL (the original poem by Prof. Kofi Awoonor)

On this dirty patch

A tree once stood

Shedding incense on the infant corn:

Its bough stretched across a heaven

Brightened by the last fires of a tribe.

They brought surveyors and builders

Who cut that tree

Planting in its place

A huge senseless cathedral of doom