CURRENT PRE-TERTIARY CURRICULUM CONTENT (2007) & PROPOSED REFORMS (2018)
Ghana Education Service is considering the change of syllabus for pre-tertiary schools in Ghana. Below are the current as well as the new proposal on the table. The proposed syllabus if implemented will affect the Preschool, Basic schools and Senior High Schools. Ghanaeducationnews.com posted earlier that GES was aiming at reducing Basic School Subjects. However, the SHS is also to be affected with the information coming in.
The implementation will lead the study of the following
Kindergarten 1 and 2 will have 4 learning areas of study:
- Language and Literacy (English and Ghanaian Language with Ghanaian Language as the medium of instruction)
- Numeracy
- Creative Arts
- Our World & Our People
Learning Areas for Lower Primary will add up to 6. These are:
- Language and Literacy (with Gh Lang as the medium of instruction)
- Numeracy
- Creative Arts (Visual and Performing arts)
- History
- Science (including Agriculture)
- Our World & Our People
Subjects in Upper Primary (B4 – B6) will be 7 (Compulsory Curriculum)
- Literacy (with Gh Lang as subject and Eng. Lang as both medium
of instruction and subject and French) - Mathematics
- Science (including Agriculture)
- Creative Arts (Integrated Themes: Music, Arts, Financial Literacy,
Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, Agric) - History
- Our World & Our People (Integrated Themes: Religion & Values;
Citizenship Education, Geography, PE) - Computing (with emphasis on Computer Application)
Subjects in the Junior High School (B7 – B9) will study the following core subjects
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Ghanaian Language (non-examinable)
- History
- Geography
- Computing (with emphasis on Application
Other changes that the new syllabus will bring to the table at the SHS are:
- Geography/History as a Compulsory Core Subject for Science Students and Technical Programme Students.
- Science as a Compulsory Core Subject for Non-Science and Technical Programme students.
- Separation of General Arts into two programmes namely, Humanities and Language Arts.
- The Merge of Technical, Vocational, Visual Arts and Agriculture Programmes into a new programme called Technical and Vocational Programme.
- PE as a timetable subject through all the phases.
- Introduction of French at the Upper Primary Level.
- Introduction of Arabic as an optional core subject at the Junior High School level
- History to be taught as a compulsory subject from B1 – B12.
- “Our World and our People” is a body of knowledge to be delivered through a thematic approach.
Below are the details in a table form
EARLY YEARS KINDERGARTEN (1 & 2) LOWER PRIMARY (B1 – B3) and UPPER PRIMARY
(B4 – B6)
| LEVEL | CURRENT CURRICULUM (2007) | PROPOSED CURRICULUM (2018) |
| EARLY YEARS KINDERGARTEN (1 & 2) LOWER PRIMARY (B1 – B3) |
Kindergarten Learning Areas – Language and Literacy (Eng. and Gh Lang) – Mathematics – Environmental Studies – Creative Activities – Music, Dance and Drama – Physical Development – Psychosocial Skills (Cross Cutting Issues) |
1. Language and Literacy (English and Ghanaian Language with Ghanaian Language as medium of instruction) 2. Numeracy 3. Creative Arts 4. Our World & Our People (Integrated Themes: History, Religion & Moral Values; Computing, Civics & Geography, Science, PE) Note: PE will be a Timetable activity through all the phases Total = 4 (Compulsory Curriculum) |
| 1. English Language 2. Mathematics 3. Natural Science 4. Ghanaian Languages and Culture 5. Creative Arts (Visual & Performing Arts) 6. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 7. Religious and Moral Education (RME) 8. Physical Education Total = 8 |
1. Language and Literacy (with Gh Lang as medium of instruction) 2. Numeracy 3. Creative Arts (Visual and Performing arts) 4. History 5. Science (including Agriculture) 6. Our World & Our People (Integrated Themes: Religion & Values; ICT, French [from B3], Civics & Geography, PE) Total Curriculum Areas = 6 (Compulsory Curriculum) |
|
| UPPER PRIMARY (B4 – B6) |
1. English Language 2. Mathematics 3. Integrated Science 4. Ghanaian Language 5. Creative Arts 6. Citizenship Education 7. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 8. Religious and Moral Education 9. Physical Education Total = 9 |
1. Literacy (with Gh Lang as subject and Eng. Lang as both medium of instruction and subject and French) 2. Mathematics 3. Science (including Agriculture) 4. Creative Arts (Integrated Themes: Music, Arts, Financial Literacy, Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, Agric) 5. History 6. Our World & Our People (Integrated Themes: Religion & Values; Citizenship Education, Geography, PE) 7. Computing (with emphasis on Computer Application) Total = 7 (Compulsory Curriculum) |
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
| PROGRAMME | CURRENT CURRICULUM (2007) | PROPOSED CURRICULUM (2018) |
| JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (B7 – B9) |
1. English Language 2. Mathematics 3. Integrated Science 4. Social Studies 5. Ghanaian Language& Culture 6. French Language (Optional Core) 7. Basic Design and Technology (Three options) Visual Arts, Home Econs & Pre-Tech) 8. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 9. Religious and Moral Education (RME) 10. Music and Dance * 11. Physical Education * Total = 9 Examinable at BECE |
1. Literacy [Gh. Lang, Eng. Lang ., French or Arabic] 2. Mathematics 3. Science 4. History 5. Geography 6. Our World & Our People (Religion & Value & Citizenship Education, PE) 7. Basic Design and Technology (Visual Arts, Home Econs or Pre-Tech) 8. Computing (with emphasis on Application) Total = 8 (Compulsory curriculum) |
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (B10 – B12)
| CORE SUBJECTS | 1. Mathematics 2. English Language 3. Integrated Science 4. Social Studies 5. Information and Communication Technology* (ICT) 6. Physical Education* Total = 4 Examinable at the WASSCE |
CORE SUBJECTS FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMMES 1. English Language 2. Mathematics 3. Ghanaian Language (non-examinable) 4. History 5. Geography 6. Computing (with emphasis on Application) |
| CORE SUBJECTS FOR THE ARTS, HUMANITIES, BUSINESS, VOCATIONAL PROGRAMMES 1. English Language 2. Mathematics 3. Ghanaian Languages (non-examinable) 4. History (to be dropped in 2nd year) 5. Geography (to be dropped in 2nd year) 6. Science |
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| 7. Computing (with emphasis on Application) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ELECTIVE PROGRAMMES NB: In the Proposed Curriculum, a student at SHS is to select at least four and at most five subjects from not less than two groups of Programmes as Electives for the final years in SHS.
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| PROGRAMME | CURRENT CURRICULUM (2007) | PROPOSED CURRICULUM (2018) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SCIENCE | 1. Biology 2. Chemistry 3. Physics 4. Elective Maths 5. ICT |
1. Advanced Maths 2. Biology 3. Chemistry 4. Computer Science 5. Physics |
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| BUSINESS | Accounting Option 1. Introduction to Business Management 2. Accounting 3. And anytwo (2) of the following: – Business Mathematics and Principles of Costing – Economics – Mathematics (Elective) – Typewriting (40 w.p.m.) – French – Music Secretarial Option 1. Introduction to Business Management 2.Typewriting (40w.p.m.) and Office Practice and 3. anytwo (2) of the following: Accounting Business Mathematics and Principles of Costing Economics Literature-in-English French |
1. Accounting 2. Business Management (Secretarial Skills to be a learning Area within Business Management) 3. Business Mathematics 4. Computing |
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| Music | ||
| PROGRAMME | CURRENT CURRICULUM (2007) | PROPOSED CURRICULUM (2018) |
| GENERAL ARTS *General Arts has been proposed to be separated into two different programmes:Humanities and Languages in the new Curriculum. |
– French – Ghanaian Language (Elective) – Christian Religious Studies/ Islamic Religious Studies/Traditional African Religion – Music – Economics – Geography – History – Government – Mathematics (Elective) – General knowledge in Art – Literature |
HUMANITIES 1. Economics 2. Geography 3. Government 4. History 5. Religious Educ. LANGUAGE ARTS 1. Literature in English. 2. Ghanaian Languages and Culture. 3. French 4. Arabic |
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| Visual Arts Programme | Visual Arts Option 1. General Knowledge in Art 2. And any one of the following: – Graphic Design – Jewellery – Printmaking 3. Students may select any one (1) of the following: – Ceramics – Leatherwork – Sculpture – Basketry – Textiles In addition, Students may select any two (2) of the following: – Economics – Music – French – Literature -in -English |
Technical and Vocational Programme 1. Agriculture 2. Home Economics 3. Performing Arts 4. Technical 5. Visual Arts |
| PROGRAMME | CURRENT CURRICULUM (2007) | PROPOSED CURRICULUM (2018) |
| Home Economics Programme |
Home Economics Option 1. Management In Living 2. And any one of the following: – Foods and Nutrition – Clothing and Textiles 3. In addition, Students may select any two (2) of the following: – Textiles – General Knowledge in Art -Economics – Chemistry – French – ICT – Biology |
Technical and Vocational Programme 1. Agriculture 2. Home Economics 3. Performing Arts 4. Technical 5. Visual Arts |
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SUMMARY
Below is a summary of the subjects/programmes for the proposed curriculum (2018) as presented in the Tables above.
| TECHNICAL EDUCATION | Technical Programme 1. Technical Drawing 2. And any three of the following: – Applied Electricity – Electronics – Electricals – Auto Mechanics – Building Construction – Metal Work – Wood Work – Elective Mathematics – Physics – Chemistry – French – ICT |
| AGRICULTURE | General Agriculture And any three (3) of the following: – Crop Husbandry and Horticulture – Animal Husbandry/Fisheries/ Forestry – Chemistry – Physics – Elective Mathematics – ICT – French |
Credit: ghanaeducationnews.com
