David Kyei-Nuamah
East China Normal University, School of Education, Graduate Student
This study reviews and equates the historical upgrade of Ghana’s polytechnics to technical universities compared to the United Kingdom and South Africa, including its processes as a borrowed educational policy. Furthermore, it critically... more
This study reviews and equates the historical upgrade of Ghana’s polytechnics to technical universities compared to the United Kingdom and South Africa, including its processes as a borrowed educational policy. Furthermore, it critically reviews the policy’s incubation process, the borrowing process, the implementation process and the actual outcome of the policy in action. The study reveals the loopholes as an elusive decision to convert the ex-polytechnics and its managers’ harshly misplaced priorities of mimicking academic universities. Although the conversions proved essential to its core mandate, we argue that the focus was to be given to curriculum, teacher development and infrastructure funding. Improvements in the standing and prestige of Ghana’s technical universities are seen as a conversion consequence. However, maintaining a vocational and technical focus and guaranteeing the necessary resources and facilities for the newly transformed institutions may present difficulties. Finally, the study reveals reflective characteristics of historical happenings in the UK and South Africa compared to Ghana.
Research Interests:
Catherine Odora Hoppers and Howard Richards (2012) have explicitly relayed the mission of universities as 'agents' or tunnels for cognitive, social justice, and inclusive human development. The Association of African Universities (AAU) is... more
Catherine Odora Hoppers and Howard Richards (2012) have explicitly relayed the mission of universities as 'agents' or tunnels for cognitive, social justice, and inclusive human development. The Association of African Universities (AAU) is an international nongovernmental organization or institution established and powered by the universities in Africa to promote cooperation among themselves and within the international academic community. It is recognized as an international actor or agent empowered to attain its mission as higher education institutions (HEIs) in Africa to meet international and global standards. Schmidt (2012) posits that agents within institutions teach two forms of abilities: background ideational abilities and foreground discursive abilities which strengthens the power of an institution as an existing institutional actor or agent.
Research Interests:
The 'pro-poor' free senior high school (SHS) policy has become a major rights-based social-democratic initiative in Ghana. The policy attracts major criticisms and praises from academics and citizens. This paper broaches the policy's... more
The 'pro-poor' free senior high school (SHS) policy has become a major rights-based social-democratic initiative in Ghana. The policy attracts major criticisms and praises from academics and citizens. This paper broaches the policy's outcomes and implementation inputs to its purposes in real-time. The study uses secondary data from the official websites of Ghana's presidency, the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service-Education Management Information System (GES-EMIS), and the Ghana Living Standards (GLSS 7) Report. The study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with Ball's policy as 'text' and' discourse' approaches and document analysis. The policy achieved a higher enrolment in location and gender; improvements in students' academic outcomes; a pupil-to-teacher ratio: of 20:1, and reduced household burden. Other challenges are delays in funding and distribution of policy inputs. The study suggests that funding mechanisms should be widened, deepen policy education for school leaders and parents to enhance policy progress.
Research Interests:
This poem gives a vivid description of Ghana on its culture, food, people, and geographic area. This poem adopts a rhythmic ending (AABABC) for the first stanza, a descriptive-narrative style for the second and third stanza, and a free... more
This poem gives a vivid description of Ghana on its culture, food, people, and geographic area. This poem adopts a rhythmic ending (AABABC) for the first stanza, a descriptive-narrative style for the second and third stanza, and a free verse form for the fourth stanza. This poem follows no rule because of the genre it falls under and adapts a newly artistic style through the writers’ perspective.