Thursday, 17 April 2014

“SAME CURRICULUM, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES”-PROJECT





The continuous partnership and support for issues and projects bordering on health and education in the country as well as rural development by multi-donor organization, Star-Ghana over the years remain commendable.

Over the past six years, Star-Ghana has committed a little over eight million cedis to supporting some thirty five media institutions in the drive to enhance education, promote healthcare and decentralization in our communities, among others.

As a results-orientated organization, the multi-donor pooled funding organization has used a number of initiatives to aid the coming into fruition of major projects country-wide, which have impacted society in many ways. 

In the spirit of strengthening transparency, accountability and responsiveness in Ghana, Star-Ghana has again partnered the state broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to embark on a massive sensitization and awareness increasing enterprise in the basic educational sector.
It is common knowledge that, standard of basic education in the country on a general level is below average, especially with public schools.

 The reasons being a consequence of factors such as inadequate infrastructure, improper supervision, low levels of commitment and participation on the part of parents and community folks, as well as uninspiring government policies.

These have led to these schools, churning out very disastrous results. In the light of this, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has embarked on a project, to spotlight the issues that pertain to basic education in some four districts in the country. The focus of the fourteen-month project is to expose the inefficiencies and shortfalls in the educational system at these levels, so as to trigger stakeholder responses to help address them.

The project dubbed, “Same Curriculum, Different Opportunities” has therefore concentrated on Ashaiman, Ho, Cape Coast and Obuasi districts and undertaken in-depth research and investigation into the basic education systems in these areas, and will be presented through documentaries, deliberative studio discussions among others.It is also aimed at influencing government agencies and all local communities including traditional leaders and community folks to be more responsive in improving the  physical learning environments in basic schools in the country.

Speaking at the official launch of the project, retired educationist and senior statesman, Dr. K. B Asante decried the fallen standards of education in the country, adding that, political gimmicking and politicization of education has contributed to the decline in the previously high educational standards. The provision of free education as bandied about by political parties, he said has contributed largely to the shirking of responsibilities by parents.
Dr. K.B Asante speaking at the project launch

He called for those who can pay for education to be allowed to pay, while those who genuinely cannot, be assisted. He also charged parents to take utmost responsibility and interest in the upbringing and education of their wards in order to prevent some of the terrible products being churned out by these less facilitated schools.

Program Manager of Star-Ghana, Ibrahim Tanko-Amidu while pledging continuous support to the corporation, challenged GBC to ensure that the project is aggressively championed in order to realize results, and bring solutions to these districts under study.

The ceremony witnessed in attendance a number of high profile personalities and stakeholders in education as well as friends from the media.
Snippets of the documentary were shown to the audience, to give them a feel of what pertains on the ground.
“The Curriculum” documentary series airs on GTV every two weeks, with the maiden episode showing on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 8:30pm,followed by studio discussions on Friday, April 25,2014 at exactly 5:30pm.

-Komla Adom
17-04-14




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