Policy analyst and engineer Kosi Dedey is calling for major reforms in Ghana’s education system, saying the current system is not doing enough to prepare students for both academic and practical careers.
He believes the Junior High School (JHS) system, in particular, has moved away from its original purpose of helping young people discover their talents and interests early and, where necessary, pursue technical and vocational careers.
During his interview today, Kosi Dedey explained that the JHS system was originally meant to give students practical skills in areas such as carpentry, metalwork and other technical fields.
However, he said a lack of proper investment in workshops, tools and materials has made the system more focused on theory than practical training.
“Over the years, we have all forgotten the purpose for which the system was implemented,” he said.
Kosi Dedey said the problem is not limited to the JHS level. According to him, Ghana needs to take a fresh look at the entire education system instead of making small changes from time to time.
“The entire educational system needs reforms. We need to see, look at it, and through the years, all we have done is a few touches saying, ‘Oh, we are doing reform.’ But seriously, there’s been no serious reform with the JHS and SHS system that is impactful enough for this country,” he stated.
His comments come after reports that 54,985 candidates who took the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) did not meet the requirements for placement into Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Senior High Technical Schools.
Kosi Dedey believes the situation should encourage policymakers to take a closer look at the education system and ask whether it is truly achieving its purpose and giving young people the skills they need.
He is therefore calling for a complete review of Ghana’s education system to make it more practical, skills-focused and better suited to the needs of students and the country’s economy.
