THE suggestion by the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, for the cancellation of extra classes in schools and at home has attracted hot debates among a cross section of the public.
At a function at Pute in Ada to inaugurate a health facility for the Ada Presbyterian Primary School at the weekend, the minister said through the practice of extra classes, parents and teachers had imposed unbearable pressure and stress on children of all ages, including toddlers, and left them with no time for recreation or physical exercises.
However, key stakeholders have called for the proper regulation of extra classes in schools, instead of their total cancellation.
While the minister was concerned about the abuse of extra classes, some parents have argued that there are many average students who can perform better or be helped by extra or added tuition.
Extra classes became part of the teaching and learning process in our schools especially during the 1980s when many teachers joined the exodus bandwagon to Nigeria and standards of education began to fall.
Before then, extra tuition at the basic level and in second-cycle schools was provided free of charge by teachers or for a token.
In the 1970s, many teachers were committed to the job and were prepared to sacrifice their time and even money to provide extra tuition for students.
Such teachers were content with the excellent performance by their students in the Common Entrance, the Middle School Leaving Certificate and the School Certificate examinations.
But what has changed? Perhaps economic difficulties have compelled everyone to be more materialistic than being satisfied with the mere expression of gratitude from those who have benefited from the benevolence of others.
For some time now the wages and salaries of working people, including teachers, have not been enough to take them home, forcing workers to look for other opportunities to make extra income.
Then came the craze for extra classes in schools throughout the country. Initially, they were clothed as a gesture by teachers to assist average students to make the grade to secondary and tertiary institutions.
But the call for the streamlining of extra classes, instead of their total ban, appears more practicable because of the circumstances of our times.
On the surface, it does not make sense to ask those in kindergarten to attend extra classes because even adults reach their saturation point at a certain stage in the teaching and learning process.
However, parents and guardians are willing to pay some extra fees to enable teachers to take care of their children and wards because when classes end officially, there is no one at home to take care of their children and wards.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that an outright ban on extra classes, without the provision of facilities and the necessary incentives to improve teaching and learning, will not resolve the problem. For, if the demand for extra classes persists, a ban will only drive the activities underground where they will be difficult to monitor and regulate.
We, therefore, call on the Minister of Education to liaise with all stakeholders in this matter — school authorities, teachers, students and parents — to look at the best way of dealing with the craze, such that extra burden is not placed on parents.
Extra classes are not bad, provided they can be regulated, so that they do not interfere with planned teaching and learning processes in our schools, as well as impose an extra burden on beneficiaries.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls for dialogue to resolve this matter because its proper handling or the lack of it can compound the problems in the educational sector.
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