Former Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has attributed students’ poor performance in examinations to weak educational structures in the country, rather than the commonly cited culprit of social media use.
He said parents and teachers often blame students and their social media habits for academic failures, but according to Dr Adutwum, that assumption is not entirely accurate.
The Bosomtwe Member of Parliament (MP) cited the United States as a case study. According to him, American students have more access to social media than almost anyone else, yet they are not seen failing at the same rate. He said this is because students there already have a learning mindset and will always make time for their studies.
“We sometimes blame students and say they don’t like studying because they are always on social media. But who uses social media more than Americans?” he said. “They have ensured that learning becomes part of their system, so the student already knows the significance of learning.”
He added that students in the U.S. are already mentally prepared and have access to the right tools to help them grow.
The same, he said, cannot be said about Ghana. He noted that weak structures have caused many students in the country, particularly those in government schools, to lose confidence in studying.
The MP cited a school in Osu where students lacked access to even basic infrastructure, such as proper roofing. He said the conditions he observed were not befitting of a school meant to help students learn and understand.