The Educate Africa Institute (EAI) has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education to immediately review and abolish the current Career Day practice in basic schools, describing it as outdated and ineffective in preparing pupils for the modern world of work.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, William Boadi, the institute proposed "the introduction of a more practical alternative—Skills and Talent Exhibition Day—to better equip students with relevant competencies for the evolving global economy."

According to EAI, while Career Day was originally designed to inspire young learners, it has become repetitive and limited in scope, often highlighting only a narrow range of professions such as law, medicine, security services, and aviation.

The institute argues that this approach fails to reflect the diversity of opportunities available in today’s economy and may inadvertently restrict students’ ambitions.

“Many pupils are conditioned to pursue a few ‘popular’ professions, which contributes to frustration among graduates who later face unemployment or delays in postings, particularly in sectors like health and education,” the statement noted.

EAI further expressed concern that Career Day does little to promote alternative career paths such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.

It observed that pupils are rarely encouraged to envision themselves as business owners, inventors, chief executives or political leaders.

The institute stressed that Ghana’s education system must move beyond symbolic activities and focus on nurturing critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills among learners.

The statement also highlighted the financial strain Career Day places on parents, who are often required to spend money on costumes that have little lasting educational value.

EAI described the exercise as largely ceremonial, with minimal practical impact on students’ development.

As a solution, EAI is advocating for "the introduction of Skills and Talent Exhibition Day in basic schools nationwide. The proposed initiative would include:

"Hands-on skills demonstrations

"Mentorship programmes

"Educational field trips

"One-day internship opportunities."

According to the institute, such activities would provide practical exposure, foster innovation, and encourage self-reliance among pupils.

EAI emphasised that Ghana’s future depends on raising a generation of critical thinkers and solution-oriented citizens who are committed to national development. It maintained that the current Career Day model does not adequately support this vision.

AM

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