Writing exam questions on chalkboards have damaging consequences-NAGRAT President

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT Angel Carbonu says writing examination questions on chalkboards by teachers has very damaging consequences on teaching and learning.

This follows photographs of some teachers especially those in the Ashanti Region writing exam questions on chalkboards that have gone viral. The situation also follows a directive from the Ghana Education Service that the payment and collection of printing fees should be stopped hence collected monies from pupils should be refunded.

In an interview with Starr News, NAGRAT President Angel Carbonu said the development will compromise the exams and affect academic work

''Schools still write on the board especially because of proximity challenges, lack of resources or personnel. If the schools were taking exams fees to aid in the printing of papers there is a deficit and the teacher ought to teach. So the teacher resorts to writing on the board which has very damaging consequences on teaching and learning. Once the examination fees that was used for printing is taken away, the teacher does not have the choice than to write on the board. Very negative consequences but what choice do you have? he quizzed.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the GES Vincent Assafuah reacting to the latest development said even though the payment of the capitation grant which was to be used to print the exam papers delayed, the teachers are wrong to dramatize the situation  

“Why the dramatization? Is it because teachers were getting some money from what was being paid earlier and now they don’t get? So they are angry? Writing on the board is not a new phenomenon, how did they write their class test. If that is the only way the poor can get education then so be it''.

 “Yesterday half of the money they needed to print the papers have been paid. We agree that payment delayed but it shouldn’t be a means of drama by our teachers, I frown at that and it is unacceptable, teachers dramatizing with the situation is uncalled for,” he added.

Also, an education consultant and a member of the Ghana National Education Coalition Kofi Asare said the ongoing situation takes Ghana many years back. He also added that writing on boards affects the performance of pupils in BECE exams.

READ ALSO:

• Photos: Teachers write examination questions on chalkboards in some basic schools
• Demerits of writing exam questions on chalkboard

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