Feature Article of Sunday, 3 October 2010
Columnist: Donkor, Samuel
by Samuel Donkor
Education which is Godliness and known since the time of creation, in the industrialised world, among learned and wise leaders, is the basis for serious sustainable development and advancement. I mention these particular areas and groups, because it seems and its known, that in Africa and in Ghana, our leaders and politicians, who through this same education, have reached the position they are now, still do not recognize the great importance of education in national development and progress.
They see education as another individual priveledge on the basis of survival for the fitters. They don't see it to be a basic right of the citizen and national responsibility and asset, hence the high cost of education and the high rate of illiteracy on the continent. The lack of adequate investment and the neglect of this sector, with bad policies is preventing a free universal basic education for all and also hampering the advancement of those priveledged.
African leaders and for that matter, Ghanaian leaders, after the overthrow of DR Kwame Nkrumah, became myopic and recognize investment in education as long term and so rather prefer to invest massively in short term and lucrative sectors for quick returns to the neglect of education and research.
While they shout for development and progress and wishing to see advancement during their rein, they refuse to infest in human resources. Its all greed and lack of political will and sacrifice.
African leaders are known to be greedy and unwise and prefer to recognize physical structures as prestigious and a sign of development to please the majority illiterate masses, than to invest in the long term educational programs and human development.They prefer to invest in prestigious and short term projects from which they enrich themselves. It is sad to note that, these structures and other prestigious projects later become white elephants,which are left to deteriorate due to lack of qualified local expertese to man and maintain them.
They wish to industrialise, hence their invitation to foreign investors to their countries, but have no qualified local personnel to assist these investors. They also wish to be in line with the industrialised and advanced world in this era of globalisation, but here again, they refuse to invest in human resources to bring their people to the 'Know How-Knowledge' of today.
In Ghana, what is atually missing in the proper management of our educationl sector, since the first republic, is the political commitment for tackling the educational task that lies ahead.
The simple truth is that, whenever and whereever basic education was spread, the social and economic benefits were quite dramatic and visible. Ghana has the potential to become one of the most dramatic countries in Africa in the 21st century if there is massive investment in human development, but its marred by poverty, high rate of illiteracy, malnourishment due to economic mismanagement and inadequate investment in human resources. It is this free basic education for all and relevant technical skills, which catapulted some Asian countries to dazzling successes. It is known and widely accepted today that basic education is a powerful engine of economic growth, hence the declaration of free universal basic education by some wise countries. It is upon this educational policies that brought former West Germany out of her ruins to the dazzling successes and received from the world, the accolade of ; 'Economic Wonder' in 1951, just six years after the second World War.
Ghanaian leaders want Ghana to be a middle income country to the level of the Tigers of Asia by the middle of the 21st century, but still refuse to invest massively in the education sector, which is also fraught with mismanagement and financial handicap, leaving entirely the high cost of education, from basic to tetiary level in the hands of poor parents, who are unable to afford, resulting in the retardation of progress and low standard of performance in the country.
This attitude and negative approach has also led to a high increase in the illiteracy rate and also making many would-be anxious secondary and tetiary students drop out for financial and low grade reasons.
African leaders should know that, it is education and research that cause inventions and advancements in industrialised Europe, America and brought the six Tigers of Asia to the level they are now. It is education and research that made it possible to manufacture the nice fleet of posh cars and limousines they possess in their palaces today, and it is the same education through human development and research that make it possible for them to fly in comfortable executive jets and other luxuries they are afraid to leave behind . All these came to be, because the leaders of the industrialised world invested massively in education, research and human development, which they are still investing , because education has no end and population is still increasing without end.
These African leaders are too much concerned with holding on to powers that be, and therefore are inclined to consulting oracles,magical powers e.t.c,to be able to have grip over the their nations.Due to their insincerity and greedy hidden motives, and lack of self- confidence, they waste alot of national resources in fortifying their positions. They also invest in prestigious physical projects that make them rich through contract kickbacks, to the neglect of education and research.
Based on these unholy actions, they tend to become despots, living in corruption and mimanagements, which they are unable to check, leading to the detriment of the poor masses and bringing them as a nation to a bleak future. Recently, a research conducted by the German Foundation for International Development revealed that, keys to development in the developing countries are; the narrowing the knowledge and information gaps between the rich and poor countries,which could help to promote development.
It will therefore be wise for our leaders to sit up to reallities and start now to invest massively in human resources for development without a hitch of discriminations and in the interest of the nation at large, to be able to achieve the middle income level by the middle of the 21st century, they so much dream of , if they are really serious. They should let their words and seriousness be pragmatic and not just lip service.
It is also known that,with the free universal education, it is easier for the state to propagate policies and programs through newspapers and the electronic media at a less cost.
The naked truth is that, the economics that have been most successful in the recent development of World trade, namely Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and China, known as the Six Tigers of Asia, have all laid great emphasis on Education, health care and research areas, that are grossly neglected and under-valued by Ghanaian and African leaders.
This Policy is like the Bible verse: 'Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added unto it'. It is therefore not at all wrong, when a few school of thought continue to advice African leaders and governments to invest massively in education and human resources, but to no avail.
It is also not wrong, if African leaders to date are blamed for the woes and backwardness in human development, leading to total under-development of Africa, because of their unwise and inept attitude towards human resource development.
The present educational crisis in Ghana, is a case example of neglect, poor policies and refusal by the former PNDC and NDC regime to invest massively in education for nineteen years, a typical attitude of African leaders. Recent media reports of threats of educational institutions in the United Kingdom and other foreign countries not to recognize degrees from Ghana in late 80s and early 90s, and even now, is a pointer to the serious crisis facing education in general and in particular tertiary education of the country Ghana.
Ghanaian certificates, once an enviable and universally respected status, is now at the mercy of the overseas universities.
Education under the PNDC/NDC administration suffered a steep decline in quality and ascendancy, and had also assumed astronomic dimensions in financial terms,making it out of reach to the average Ghanaian.
Ghanaian standard of education has so much deteriorated and devalued that, even though, those politicians at the realm of affairs, who were claiming their educational policies to be the best and who hastily pushed through a so-called reforms and measures, that have brought education in the country to its current sorry state of affairs, have literally realised the mess they have created and have sent and are still sending their children and wards for schools abroad.
All this mess came about, because annual financial allocation to education and the universities, which were not sufficient alrady, started dwindling year after year. Teachers and lecturers, who are poorly paid with poor condition of service started leaving for greener pastures outside.Lack of teaching materials , equipments and facilities, shortage of teachers and lecturers is the cry of students.
The ill- prepared education reform program, which was inadequately implemented is another cause for the present crisis.There are no qualified teachers. After decades of its implementation, it appears the dream of a vocationally oriented basic educational system is far from realization.
The whole present educational crisis in Ghana is a pointer to the refusal by the then NDC government to invest massively in education and research sectors, thereby confirming allegations, that African leaders deliberately neglect education to deprive the majority of their people of knowldge and higher education in order to cheat and exploit them to their diabolical interests and whims and caprices.
Such attitudes by these leaders is a retardaton to economic and social development. What the leaders of Ghana and for that matter Africa should know is that, they cannot excell or develop at a goal, all sectors of their country's economy and social programs, to the level of the richer nations, at this time of their downward economic trend and poverty.
It is therefore advisable for them to adopt the system of comparable advantage and focus in those sectors that are favorable, by investing heavily in them to achieve positive and sustainable benefits.
It is also recomendable , as poor and backward nations ,to invest massively without recourse, in education, agriculture, health and social programs, as a basis for a sustainable investment. It is generally knon and accepted, that education and human resource development are the basis for sustainable economic and social development progress.
Without such pragmatic approach by leaders, Ghana and for that matter Africa will continue to remain poor and backward in today's Global Village. Poorer countries ought to be investing monies in educating their children rather than buying weapons to entrenching themselves in power, stacking away public monies in personal foreign accounts abroad and unprofitable prestigeous projects.
The realisation of such policies require political will, selflessness, patriotism, intellectual understanding, wisdom and discipline on the part of the leaders involved. African technocrats, engineers, technologists and administrators should wake up from their slumbers and be creative, and innovative enough to help their countries move forward in line with the present global development trend.
I write you the truth, Africa and for that matter, Ghana, shall reach the level of the industrialised World, only if their leaders and the people change their negative attitudes and characters, especially in the areas of patriotism, moral values, doing the right things, and dedication to the country. They should do away with Greed, Corruption and Politics of Hatred ,Indscipline, lawlessness and all other things shall be added unto it.