GABET raises concerns over teacher training and resources for new SHS curriculum

The Ghana Association of Business Education Teachers (GABET) is raising concerns over gaps in the implementation of Ghana’s new Senior High School curriculum, citing inadequate teacher training, limited teaching resources, and the exclusion of Business Education teachers from parts of the curriculum development process.

The Association says the challenges could undermine efforts to equip students with the practical skills, critical thinking and competencies envisioned under the new SHS/SHTS/STEM curriculum.

The concerns were raised at the 29th Annual National Conference and Workshop of GABET in Kumasi.

The three-day conference, under the theme: “Assessing the Implementation of Ghana’s New Senior High School Curriculum: The Strategic Role of the Business Education Teacher in Driving Quality and Relevance”, brought together Business Education teachers from across the country and other stakeholders to assess the implementation of the new curriculum and discuss ways of improving teaching and learning.

The new curriculum places greater emphasis on competency-based learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, practical application and flexible pathways.

However, GABET says teachers are struggling to fully adjust to the changes due to gaps in training and a lack of essential teaching materials.

National Secretary of GABET, Kojo Appiah Odei, says Business Education teachers were not adequately involved in developing the new curriculum, resulting in differences between what teachers previously taught and what is now required.

“Because of that, it left a certain gap, and we’re now trying to fill those gaps, and that’s what this conference is to address. A lot of the teachers have issues because if you compare the old curriculum with the new curriculum, you see that there have been some gaps. NaCCA and GES should see GABET as a partner and get us on board in the future when they’re coming up with anything relative to the Business curriculum,” he said.

Mr Appiah Odei is also worried about declining interest in Business Education, which he says is partly linked to limitations students face when pursuing further education.

“One key thing is the academic progression of our students, where they’re being denied access to nursing training institutions. Some of the teachers in the Junior High Schools counsel their students that when they offer the business program, their further education options are limited, which makes them shy away from the business program,” Kojo Appiah asserted.

He believes students who choose Business Education should have equal opportunities to pursue further education.

“We believe that our students are not treated fairly and that is what’s causing a decline in the number of business students across the country in the Senior High Schools. We appeal to policy makers to understand that business education is vital for national development, so they must allow students to also have the opportunity to pursue whatever program they want to pursue,” he added.

National President of GABET, Joseph Kwame Adamptey, says teachers are also struggling with the volume of content to be covered within the stipulated time.

He says the absence of textbooks and other teaching materials is compounding the problem, while training provided to teachers on the new curriculum has not been sufficient.

“The Government must try as possible to provide those resources because, as we speak now, there is lack of textbooks for students and teachers to use. The training that has been given to teachers regarding this new curriculum is not adequate at all. And even things that would make the training good weren’t provided,” he stressed.

Mr Adamptey says without adequate preparation, teachers may struggle to deliver the curriculum effectively.

“Once you fail to train someone very well, it’s very difficult for the person to impact. We want to express our concern to authorities to try and give all teachers across the country the necessary training that they need to impact knowledge in the students,” he said.

GABET is therefore calling on the government, the Ghana Education Service and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to strengthen teacher training and provide the textbooks and other resources required for effective implementation

The Association says addressing these gaps is critical to keeping Business Education relevant and ensuring students have the skills needed for further education and the changing world of work.