Next Level Education – Game Changer
This book seeks to engage its readers on how the theme “Quality Secondary, Technical & Vocational Education; A Catalyst for National Development” for the 91st Speech & Prize Giving Ceremony at Achimota School in Ghana on November 3rd 2018 inspired research work and findings that could contribute to a change in the educational landscape in Ghana.
Foreword
By Ernest Aryeetey, PhD FGA President, Old Achimotan Association, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana
“On behalf of the Old Achimotan Association I would like to congratulate Dr. Maame Yaa Bosuo Norman on being selected by her Year Group (1993) to deliver the keynote address at the Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Achimota School in 2018. This book reflects her experience from that day and the material she gathered from the students prior to the delivery of her address. I sat in the audience and listened to Dr. Norman read her address with great enthusiasm. It was very well received by both the students and their parents. I believe that many Old Achimotans who were present will remember with fondness Dr. Norman’s powerful delivery on the day.
This book embodies Dr. Norman’s attempt to present the views and aspirations of a new generation of Achimota students against the background of a rapidly changing world. While the majority of her respondents were generally satisfied with Achimota education, a good number were not, and provided reasons for their dissatisfaction. These are reasons that are worth looking into.
I am glad that this work draws attention to some of the challenges with high school or secondary education in Ghana today and makes suggestions for bringing them to the “next level.” I see this work as the beginning of a long road to questioning the approach to secondary education in Ghana and should encourage the author and others to dig deeper in analyzing the challenges of the system for the benefits of the many young Ghanaians who will be entering our schools in the years to come . This book should inspire new research into Ghana’s educational system.”
The Buzz
“Dr. Norman boldly explores issues and questions that have plagued the education system for decades. In simple terms, the author analyzes the problem of a rigid education system conditioned by a colonial heritage, which is driven by exams designed to prepare students for university degrees and to acquire jobs that do not exist.
Next Level Education: Game Changer is a must read. The book makes a valuable contribution to the literature on Ghana’s education. It is highly recommended for students, parents, teacher training institutions, policy makers, libraries and other education stakeholders.”
Yaw Agyeman Badu, PhD
Professor, Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA)Former Rector, Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA)
“Here is a refreshing angle to the ways in which Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been often discussed. Norman’s work successfully shifts attention of the reader to a most critical but often ignored layer in the scholarship of TVET: the voices of the learners.
The high level of student participation in the survey gives clear indication of suppressed voices that have been waiting for a long time to be heard.
A significance of Next Level Education, a well conceived idea and written in clear, convincing prose, is its success at filling this missing lode in the discourse of TVET, too often omitted from policy formulation, execution and evaluation.”
Naana J. Opoku-Agyemang, PhD FGA
Chancellor, Women’s University in AfricaFormer Minister for Education, Ghana
“In this insightful work, Dr. Norman explores our secondary education system and provides some evidence to support what we have known, but have been unable to quantify. She presents the experiences of students at one of our leading senior high schools to reveal the gap between the aspirations of our students and their reality.
We can learn more from our students; the study presented here can be expanded and extended to other schools.
For now, the secondary school students of Ghana thank you, Dr. Norman, for making their voices heard.”
Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD FPMP MGhIE
Associate ProfessorDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana
Quiz Mistress, National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ)
View additional Book teasers and excerpts here