The former Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for the Bosomtwe Constituency, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has stressed that education should not merely focus on children attending school, but more importantly, on what they are learning and what they become as a result of that learning.
Speaking on the Epa Hoa Daben show with Bismark Brown on Happy 98.9 FM, Dr. Adutwum highlighted that improving a country’s education system requires more than ensuring enrollment, the real emphasis should be on the content taught and its impact on students.
He advocated for the implementation of effective educational content and modern teaching approaches to transform the sector. He specifically referenced New Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework that guides educators on how to teach for deeper understanding and application, rather than rote memorization.
Dr. Adutwum explained that Bloom’s Taxonomy consists of six hierarchical levels: Remember, where students recall basic facts; Understand, where they explain concepts; Apply, where they use knowledge in new situations; followed by Analyze, Evaluate, and Create where students develop critical thinking, assess ideas, and produce original work.
He criticized the over-reliance on rote learning or “chew and pour” in Ghana’s educational system, noting that while countries like the United States focus on higher-order thinking skills like analyzing, evaluating, and creating, Ghana tends to prioritize only remembering, understanding, and applying.
Reflecting on his tenure as Minister of Education, Dr. Adutwum recalled introducing curriculum reforms based on Bloom’s Taxonomy about four years ago. The first batch of students under the new curriculum was expected to write their BECE in the previous year. However, upon reviewing WAEC’s examination questions, he realized they were not aligned with the new framework.
He urged the examination body to adapt accordingly, describing the misalignment as “a clear case where the tail is wagging the dog.”
Dr. Adutwum asserted that teaching, learning, and assessment must be designed to broaden students’ thinking not just to pass exams, but to prepare them for real-life challenges.
He warned that an Education Minister unaware of this fundamental principle risks overseeing what he described as “education to nowhere.”
By: Nana Antwi Boasiako
