Educated Illiterates:Whose fault?

This post is going to be quite controversial,but I try to tell the truth no matter what.If you don't agree with me,comment and let me know.Better still,write a rebuttal and tag me.I'll read it,I promise!
Currently,Ghana is considered a lower middle income earning country,which means we are in that weird place where we aren't considered dirt poor and in need of serious aid,but are still really quite broke.When I saw this classification,I immediately thought of several things,some of which I shared in an earlier post on this blog.You can read that post here if you missed it.

Most recently though,I have begun to question this so called status again in light of certain observations I have made about graduates in Ghana.I don't think anyone will quibble with me over the fact we have issues with our educational system,but when I look at the caliber of people produced from the various universities and tertiary institutions in the form of 'graduates',I begin to wonder if its just an issue with our educational system or there's also some personal responsibility involved.

Since I am from a science background,let me talk about that for a minute.How many graduates of the various science programs in universities in Ghana are actually equipped for real hands-on scientific work?The final year research we are made to do is unsatisfactory, and to top that off most of us are usually too busy cramming for exams to read anything in the form of scientific literature.Most Science grads do not even know what a publication is,have no idea how to read and digest the information or how to use that information for their own purposes in a legal manner.Maybe I'm being too critical,but when even Masters and PhD degree students are no better,there is cause for concern.

Let's move away from Science shall we?Let's talk about the Master's Craze in Ghana.Everyone graduating from the university decides to pursue a Masters degree either because they can't find a job or everyone else is doing it so they also want to do it.A classic example is the thousands of MBAs awarded each year,not to students who have actually learnt anything and will be better for it(with very few exceptions) but to students that have been rushed through some classes and exams,made to cram more than they did in high school or college and then probably paid to have someone write a thesis for them(sorry if I offend anyone here).Is the Masters degree a simple extension of college now with the cramming and memorization?How do we expect to produce any kind of equipped grads with this kind of educational attitude?All the schools seem to be interested in now is money,and most of our graduates are apparently not circumspect enough in their reasoning and rush to do all these programs.I understand that there is a shortage of jobs,but is a Masters degree really a fix?Do you need another degree attained with cramming and memorization  to get an entry level job?

This is such an appalling situation,much like the monopolisation of medical schools in Ghana by the rich and by certain families(I didn't even know that medicine was now a family inheritance..smh).Before even considering a Masters degree,you need to sit and decide what you want to do with your career.How is an MBA necessary if all you ever wanted to do was teach for example(unless you're going to teach business or run a company)?Why do a PhD if you want to just be a lawyer?I understand that because most of us think that our options are limited,we decide to just do whatever is available,but if there's anything education was supposed to have done,it was to open our eyes to all of the opportunities we do have.If our education failed to do that,then it is up to us to educate ourselves by reading more and being more open to other options apart from those everyone else sees.Most of us after graduation never even bother to read anything anymore.Not textbooks,not newspapers or personal development literature,not even novels.How do we expect to be educated when we will not  do the basics ourselves and read?Or has our educational system made reading so boring and not fun that we can't see it as a helpful and fun activity?

This is  what makes a graduate educated,in my opinion,the ability to see and utilise opportunities other people have not seen or utilised, the will and desire to solve problems and not just get jobs and make money.Let's stop blaming the system,because we all know its bad, and actually do something on ourselves.After all,the same educational system has produced exceptional graduates.What makes you unable to be an exception too?Until we begin to see education as more than a pathway to get a job on the part of students and as a business on the part of schools,we will keep producing graduates who are actually illiterate,unskilled and unprepared to face and solve actual real world problems and will compound the problems we already do have as a country.Enough said!

Progress and Development..the real story!

So I forgot to post this last week and decided to do that today.I have been thinking for some time what development or progress is as defined to us and if it truly is progress or development.I know this may seem confusing to some of you so let me try and give an example.
When the World bank gives a GDP for Ghana for example and says Ghana is now a lower middle income country,we usually rejoice and say we are now developing.But let's actually take a look at the situation on the ground and then make that decision for ourselves.This is what I mean.
There are two sides to this coin.The first is a predefined notion of what development in a country is supposed to be when cultural and situational differences determine this.A clear example of this is the setting of a global minimum wage when truthfully,that minimum wage is like 3 times what people in certain nations need for their basic needs to be met.Please note,I didn't say Ghana(lol).

The other side of the coin which concerns me more is the by effect of this so called development.I consider how lifestyles change and the environment is destroyed all in the quest for development and I question if it is true development.We cut down all of our trees to build skyscrapers,begin using fertilizers and pesticides because that's what development is supposed to be,drive cars that emit CFCs into the atmosphere leading to global warming and perhaps most importantly eat ourselves to death.Is this really a price we are willing to pay to say we are now a developed nation?Most developed countries have an epidemic of obesity,Type 2 diabetes and a host of other lifestyle related diseases that a change in lifestyle caused by so called development has brought.They fight  every day trying to fix this but its almost impossible.
We were purely organic farmers in Ghana.Now because of 'progress' and population explosion,we are now eating food grown with chemicals that are killing the farmers applying them to the crops.In a time when people in the 'developed' world are beginning to realise that organic food is best and are actually returning to it,is it true development to just follow in their footsteps?
This is something that we all have to think about.There are far reaching consequences of trying to model our country after the 'developed' world just because we accept blindly that they are developed.Our MPs now demand that we pay them exorbitant salaries simply because Kenya pays their MPs more.Really?When did Kenya become the standard of what we want Ghana to be?Isn't this just ridiculous?After all,don't you agree that people walking the streets of hot Accra in winter jackets is ridiculous?
We do this not just with our economic affairs but with our family and cultural habits.We are modeling our marriages after those in countries that we consider developed, modeling our families after theirs, even dressing more like them than us.Do we really want to go down the same path people have gone and failed?If we're really learning from them why can't we see that they have realised the way they do stuff needs to change?Do we need the divorce rates in our country to reach the level of that in the 'developed' world before we start to question if their methods really work for us?These are just a few examples.Maybe we need to stop copying blindly and start deciding what development and progress truly is in our own country.

Progress and development?Really?

First of all,I am super excited because with just 4 more views  this blog will hit 27,000 views!Whoo-hooo!That's awesome!I never thought this blog could come this far so I am really grateful especially to the members of the blog who subscribed but also to all of you for coming back to read this stuff.I hope I've been able to make a difference in someone's life somehow,whether with a smile or thought provoking stuff or anything really.Thanks for the support!

In celebration of an anticipated 30,000 views in the next month(I know its possible cos you're gonna share this right?..:D) I am going to do two things.
1.I want to help any upcoming blogger who needs traffic for their site.All you have to do is comment on this post with your name and blog address,subscribe to the blog if you haven't already and share this post on Facebook,twitter,Google plus and wherever else you want.Sharing already gets you traffic because people will be clicking on your link in the comment box,but also I will do a special feature series on the blogs that get submitted and that should get you some traffic too.
2.Secondly,you guys get to choose what you want me to write on in April.This will be a Reader's choice month so I will write on whatever subject will be the most popularly requested.To make a suggestion just put it in the comment box and I will read it.If you see someone's suggestion and you want me to do that one simply copy and paste it and comment.Pretty simple right?

Also,I started another blog specifically for hair stuff yesterday so I guess you're the first to know about it.Its called Ghana Hair Chick.Check it out if you like pictures of hairstyles,need help with your own hair or want to share your own hair story and advice with others.I also do have another blog dedicated solely to the wandering thoughts and most of my interests.Its more personal and I usually update it with stuff I'm doing in school,food and travelling stuff and just plain inspiration and truth.I like to keep my stuff short so you should enjoy that too.I guess that's enough talking about me.And it looks like I forgot to talk about the actual reason for the blog post title.Oh well!Another time.Till then,stay blessed!

A new Satire(sort of) to us on our 56th Birthday

And so they say we are 56 years old today as a country.We look at them incredulously and wonder in our minds if there is wrong maths at work.Ah!But the date is really 6th March 1957 oo.So the maths is right.Maybe the principles of maths need to be put aside in this case.After all,the principles of Biology and Psychology have not been considered here.In Biology,there can be stunted growth and so someone claiming to be 30 could look 10 years old.In Psychology,some adults never mature in their thinking past the age of a child due to whatever factor.So I am definitely thinking that Biology and Psychology makes more sense in this case.
Not to say of course that we are stunted or immature.Far be it from me to say so.I mean,we do still have issues with water,healthcare and electricity while a country like Malaysia born in the same year as we were is almost totally free of such issues but who's comparing?Its not like we have any kind of natural resources or human capital like they do..oh wait I think we do.Hmm..maybe our parents were just different from theirs..aahh..looks like we were both British colonised.
Oh well.Who's counting?If nothing else we are most definitely very mature.We did pay someone $1 million to get on stage,cuss and promote weed(and get arrested for it) on our independence day while millions of us didn't have clean water or health care but hey..its not every day you turn 56 and launch a big project.Its very important to relax too!That's not immature at all.We're good.The Math is right and the Biology and Psychology must be wrong.After all,who's looking?
So Happy birthday to us!We definitely look and behave 56!

In Memoriam:Let's agree to disagree

Let's agree to disagree was our friend,a father,a brother,a sister,faithful companion and most of all,a keeper of the peace.There was once a time when most arguments would end with this name.No matter what the source of the debate was,it would end whenever this name was mentioned.

Over the course of the years,we slowly began to forget about the existence of this fine statement and have finally reached the all or nothing point.What happened to us?When did it become wrong for people to share opposing views?I thought we had finally agreed that diversity is the spice of life.Unfortunately,it appears that the current world view prefers only a certain kind of diversity.

I refer to the new perception emerging that having conservative opinions about anything makes you intolerant and evil.It is now a huge plus for you to you agree with everyone about their lifestyle choices,their religious choices and beliefs and whatever else they choose to come up with.If you don't agree with them you are intolerant and unaccepting of other people.I wonder if it has occurred to those carrying this mindset that they are also being intolerant and unaccepting in attempting to force their opinions on everyone else.

I personally try my best not to judge anyone for whatever or however they choose to live their lives,because its their lives.All I can do is be a friend and try to show the love that I myself have been shown by God,and I most definitely will not force my beliefs down your throat or expect you to agree with me.All I ask is that you show me the same kind of consideration and not try to force me to agree with your beliefs.And yes,that includes trying to force it down my throat and the throats of my children through seemingly harmless TV programs and cartoons.

I mourn the death Of Let's agree to disagree,because we wouldn't be in this stand-off if he were still here.Rest Not In Peace,because I am hoping that you will be resurrected soon,and we will all dwell together in harmony once again.

Sincerely,

Me

I read this story recently and it really got me thinking.A lot of the time we forget that perception is not only one way,but is influenced mainly by ourselves.I decided to share it with you.Enjoy!

NB:No copyright infringement intended.This is not my original material!

A young couple moved into a new neighbourhood. The next morning whilst eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbour hanging the wash outside.

“That laundry is not clean” she said. “She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap”. Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time the neighbour would hang laundry to dry, the young woman would

make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Look, she has learnt how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this”!

The husband said: “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows”!!!
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window 

through which we look! Easy to discuss other people, their lives and things that don’t really concern us. Yet we tend to forget- our window isn’t that clean afterall!!!
Take the big fat log out of your own eyes before you can remove the skinny little stick from someone else’s.

Enjoy your week!

The Grass is not always greener on the other side

Once upon a time there lived a farmer with his wife and children on his own land.He had a plow and an old ox that he would use to prepare his land for farming.He wasn’t rich but he was content because he had all he needed.Then one day an old priest passing through his farm told him the story of how beautiful diamonds were being found all over the world in India,South Africa,Spain and all kinds of other places.Men were picking up these diamonds and selling them to become wealthy.That night this farmer could not sleep just imagining all the diamonds he could sell and the money to be made.The next day he decided to go look for some of these diamonds in India.He sold all his land and property to another farmer,gave some money to his family and told them he would be back with lots of money.He set off,went to India,then to South Africa,then Spain,and all kinds of places,just searching for diamonds.He never did find them,and was poor,old,wretched and tired.One day he simply jumped into the sea and drowned.
Meanwhile the other farmer who bought his property was plowing one day with the same plow and ox the previous owner had used when he noticed this black shiny rock.He picked it up and noticed how a rainbow of colors seemed to be literally caught in it.He was so taken with it that he took it into his house and set it on his mantle.A few days later this old priest passing through again went to visit the new owner and saw the rock on his mantle.He asked the farmer where he got it and he said they were just lying around his farm.That old priest used to be a jeweller,and he saw that that rock was a diamond.He went out with the farmer and walked the land,and there were just acres and acres of these rocks.This is the story of the mines of Golconda,the richest diamond find in history.
The previous farmer had been walking all over the diamonds in his own backyard but lost his life chasing diamonds in exotic countries.If the grass looks greener on the other side,fertilise and water your side!No need to go chasing diamonds when they are right in your own home!-Culled from Russel Conway’s Acres of Diamonds by Yvonne Nyavor.

Image copyright http://pinoytransplant.com/2011/05/17/no-green-grass-of-home/