Reducing number of subjects to 6 will not help students - Kwesi Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has called on the Ghana Education Service not to reduce the number of subjects taught in schools to six.

According to him, cutting down on the number of subjects will not help the students because they need the subjects to advance in life.

He wondered "what kind of life" the students "will be living with just 6 subjects" in schools.

Mr. Pratt was commenting on the call by the Conference of Directors of Education (CODE) for a reduction of the number of subjects studied at the various levels of basic education.

The Education Directors suggested that students in the Upper primary and Junior High School should be made to study six subjects instead of the usual nine while Kindergarten and lower primary pupils are made to also study only numeracy, literature and physical education.

But the seasoned journalists cited that during his era, they were made to study logic as a core subject and the study of logic helped in shaping the minds of the students; hence all the nine subjects are relevant to the development of the students.

" . . so it will be difficult for me to agree with those who are saying the children should be taught only 6 subjects," he said on 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM.

Prof Agyekum's Objection

However, the Dean of the School of Performing Arts of the University of Ghana, Professor Agyekum has expressed varied opinion about the issue.

To him, it would be prudent for the education authorities to reduce the subjects to six in order to lessen the burden on students.

He lamented that it's disheartening when pupils are seen with a backpack full of books which weighs them and make them seem like they're going to topple while going to school.

He also raised concerns about the load that is heaped upon the minds of the young students due to the nine subjects they're learning.

Prof. Agyekum therefore stressed that he agrees with CODE for the reduction of the subjects to six.