…Exploring how public and private junior high schools are implementing the common core curriculum programme

Ghana’s education system is undergoing a radical transformation, and the new curriculum reform is at the forefront of this change. As the world accelerates toward a future driven by technological advancements, evolving trends and innovation, countries must adapt and transform their institutions to keep pace.

Ghana, like many other nations, recognises the urgency to equip its education system to meet these demands, ensuring its citizens are prepared to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

The new curriculum reform is a crucial step in this direction, aiming to modernise teaching and learning at all levels. Curriculum reforms attempt to improve the selection and organisation of school knowledge and associated student learning. Better still, the new curriculum comes up in two forms – the Standard-Based Curriculum and the Common Core Curriculum Program. The Standard-Based Curriculum is for the primary level, while the Common Core Curriculum Program is for the Junior High School Level.

Over the years, Ghana has used curriculum reforms such as the Objective-based curriculum in 2007 and 2012 until September 2019 when the Government of Ghana introduced the new Common Core Curriculum Program into the educational system.

According to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NACCA), the new curriculum solves issues of the old curriculum by making sure that the contents in the new curriculum align with modern skills and global standards, with learners being able to analyse critically and think logically.

It also has a key goal to bring up the Ghanaian child to the level that is comparable to any child anywhere in the world in terms of being able to associate, communicate and use modern technology and tools; and to be a global citizen such that that child can fit in in every part of the world.

The new curriculum constitutes eleven subjects at the JHS level, of which a total of eight are core subjects and the remaining three are elective subjects. The core subjects constitute Integrated Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, English Language, Religious and Moral Education, Ghanaian Language, Creative Arts and Design and Career Technology, leaving French, Computing and Arabic as elective subjects

This article aims to explore how both public and private schools are implementing the new Common Core Curriculum Program.

The impacts of the new curriculum on the overall education system and landscape.

As mentioned by most teachers, students, education officers and many others, the Common Core Curriculum Program is the best the country has had so far. This is due to its focus on allowing learners to think and analyse situations logically and critically, as well as enabling them to be very conversant with technology.

Some learners attributed the fact that this curriculum has thrown away the ‘chew and pour’ system, where learners had to read and grasp whatever they had read and reproduced what they had read to their teachers on paper. This curriculum propels students to fit anywhere in the world, unlike the old one which was examination-oriented.

The revised curriculum has subjects like Religious and Moral Education impacting learners with moral, physical, mental and even psychological upbringing. Moreover, a subject like Computing has enabled learners to discover, acquire and communicate through Information Communication Technology (ICT) to support their learning. According to teachers, psychologically, the learner would have a tough mental upbringing such that he or she would not feel undermined or inferior in the presence of other people. This is because the learners engage in so many groups and interactive activities as well as presentations, which help to boost their confidence. Students from both private and public schools have expressed their enthusiasm for the new curriculum, citing that it has made learning more accessible and engaging. They highlighted specific examples, such as the simplified methods in Mathematics, which have made problem-solving much easier.

Additionally, they expressed their appreciation for the emphasis on Ghanaian Language as a core subject, which has instilled a sense of pride in their cultural heritage and encouraged them to explore other Ghanaian languages. With the new curriculum, students are developing a deeper appreciation for their cultural roots and a more confident approach to learning.

How the new curriculum is being implemented in both public and private schools

In public institutions, the government has increased capitation grants with a base grant such that schools that have less enrolment are also able to get a base amount that is used by the school to purchase some items to support the school.

According to education officers, the government has made available teaching and learning resources in terms of books, which have been provided to some classes as well as computers, projectors and even Internet connectivity.

Also, almost all teachers have been trained to teach this new curriculum. Public institutions, moreover, receive donor support in terms of interventions such as the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) programme, the objective of which is to improve the quality of education in low-performing basic schools as well as strengthen Ghana’s education sector equity and accountability. This programme also supports the training and retraining of teachers and provides resources.

There is also a yearly assessment known as the National Standardised Test (NST) which focuses on literacy and numeracy. This test is conducted on learners from Basic 2, Basic 4 and Basic 6 and will soon be extended to JHS 2 to check learners’ performance with the curriculum; and additionally identify learning gaps that need to be addressed in some schools to help them with some interventions.

Furthermore, since the inception of the new curriculum, Circuit Supervisors (CS) have evolved into School Improvement Support Officers (SISO), who are now responsible for the provision of guidance and support to enhance their performance rather than just supervising them.

The new curriculum has come out with a programme called the Professional Learning Communities (PLC), whereby various subject teachers and experts come together to have a discussion on certain challenging topics to enable them have effective delivery in the classroom. With this, some schools have allocated specific days in every week to organise it without affecting instructional periods. This programme adds up to the chunk of knowledge to the teachers.

Private schools, on the other hand, have also implemented similar measures to foster a very supportive learning environment.

In line with their primary objective of providing learners with a conducive environment for learning, they have also invested in infrastructure, including computers, Internet access, projectors and other educational resources to equip learners with learning experiences and to boost their academic potential.

They also participate in the National Standardized Test, but rather at a fee of GH¢35 to assess their learners. They also have a better student-teacher ratio, which allows for more effective teaching and learning. Meanwhile, School Improvement Support Officers (SISO) also visit their schools to provide guidance and support to enhance their performances.

Challenges both private and public schools are facing concerning the new curriculum

Despite students, teachers, heads of schools as well as education officers from both public and private institutions ranking the new curriculum as one of the best curricula the country has ever had, several challenges have been identified that hinder its successful implementation.

One pressing challenge an officer mentioned is electricity connectivity. He further stated that most public schools, especially with those in the smaller communities, do not have access to light; and those who have are not able to pay the bills due to its high cost. Meanwhile, subjects like Computing need electricity to power the computers for effective learning. Also, there are challenges in the provision of teaching and learning resources in public schools. As a result, teachers do not have any other option than to improvise. They added that there are some things you cannot improvise because the learners must see realia physically and handle it. The lack of computers, projectors and adequate funds to provide these resources further exacerbates the issue.

Another issue expressed by both public and private institutions is textbooks. Particularly, the private schools complained that since the last 5 years the curriculum has been implemented, they have not yet received any government-approved textbooks to teach.

Due to that, they are facing the challenge of looking for textbooks that suit the curriculum structure. For government schools, they lamented that up till now government has not provided any textbooks for Form Three; and for the remaining classes – Form Two and Form One – not all subjects have been provided.

Furthermore, private schools mentioned that they find it difficult accessing the National Standardise Test (NST) conducted by the government to assess learners. This is because some schools paid for the test but did not receive the questions, while others received them late or had their papers exchanged with other schools.

In conclusion, the new curriculum reform has been widely praised by teachers, students, head teachers and education officers for its focus on developing learners’ skills and practical abilities. To further enhance its impact, stakeholders recommend regular monitoring and assessment, the development of assessment tools, and increased access to resources such as computers, projectors and Internet facilities. Additionally, public schools require expanded classrooms to address overcrowding. Finally, the government should facilitate support from parents, NGOs and donors who are eager to contribute to the reform’s success.