Former Education Minister, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has highlighted competency and training in schools as an equally important factor in promoting academic excellence in the country’s schools.

She made these comments while touching on the 3-year/four-year systems and its impact on output as far as education particularly in our secondary schools is concerned.

Prof. Opoku-Agyeman, speaking to Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on the '21 Minutes with KKB’ show though acknowledged the importance of duration in education maintained that the training of teachers to build competence is a key element that cannot be underestimated.

“If you look at all the reforms in this country, from the guggisburg right down to the last one that was done by professor Anamoah Mensah, the running theme is duration and our children spend too much time. Duration is important but what is equally important is the training of the teacher, the competence of the teacher”

She was emphatic about the need for governments and key stakeholders including teachers to also focus on creating the right learning environment and providing the required learning materials for schools to aid their academic performances. The environment she asserted, has significant impact on the output of schools.

“Duration is important but what is equally important is the training of the teacher that is key, the competency of the teacher is very very key, the availability of learning materials whether it is equipment or books or space, they are all very important, the learning environment, the relationship between students and teachers, the relationship among students, they all aid in learning so we need to look at all that and that was why you’d remember that aside the best teacher award, we introduced the best school award because we felt that the environment has something to do with academic output”, she stated.

The NPP administration under President John Kufuor introduced the 4-year Senior High School programme in 2007. However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) reverted to the 3-year system after it regained power in 2009.

Though the Akufo-Addo-led administration hinted of an possible extension of the length of education to four years again, the 3-year system is currently being maintained.