Steady Decline in the Performance of Education in the Talensi-Nabdam District

2011
Information reaching Radio Ghana indicates that there has been a continuous steady decline in the level of academic performance among BECE candidates in the Talensi-Nabdam District of the Upper East Region. The District Director of Education, Francis Ayaba, who made the revelation, said the situation demands a multi- facet approach to stem the problem. He emphasized that the past four years had witnessed a worrying decline in the educational sector of the district and mentioned poverty, forced marriages, inadequate teaching and learning materials and lack of training on the part of teachers as some of the underlying factors contributing to the current trend. Parents and teachers, he added, have also failed to perform their respective roles effectively, thereby leading to moral degeneration which is another factor affecting education in the district and the country at large. Mr. Ayaba said since 2007 up to date a little above 800 BECE candidates out of a total number of 4,538 obtained aggregate 6-25 whilst 1,225 candidates obtained aggregate 26-30 within the same period. Moreover, 2,511 candidates had since obtained aggregate 30 and above up to date. According to him only 26.94 percent of BECE candidates in the district obtained passes during last year’s BECE exams as compared to 57.74 percent recorded in 2007. Mr. Ayaba indicated that his outfit, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders in the district, is putting in place, adequate measures to forestall the current turn of event in the educational sector. He implored the youth particularly school going children to take their studies seriously devoid of negativities. This he said is necessary since his district is poised to set standard in academic performance for other districts to emulate. He therefore charged traditional leaders to play a leading role in the fight against certain socio-cultural practices that tend to affect students particularly girls. Mr. Ayaba was grateful to the Member of Parliament for area Mr. John Tia Akologo for providing his outfit with computers and other accessories and urged other individuals and stakeholders to assist in that regard.
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