CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study
Education is the key that unlocks the door to development. Ghana as a developing country has never relented in her efforts to draw up educational programmes to meet the changing demands, needs and aspirations of her citizens as well as the nation as a whole since independence in 1957.

The first initiative in education taken by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the Associated Development Plan that aimed at ensuring that every child of school going age (i.e. 6 years) receives fee free basic education. Education was therefore seen as a process of helping an individual to develop his abilities, interests potentialities and talents to the optimum so as to be useful to himself or herself and the nation as a whole. As the individuals develop fully their cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills and contribute meaningfully towards the development of the nation, then it can be confirmed that the assertion is true.

In September 1987, the Peoples’ National Defence Congress (PNDC) government implemented the New Educational Reforms Programme with the ultimate aim of eradicating the defects in the old educational system. The main objectives of the Reform among other things include: 1. To reduce the period of basic education to 9 years (primary 6 JHS – 3 year). 2. To raise the quality of basic education to give all children some secondary education. 3. To encourage practical programmes which lead to the acquisition of skills for self-employment 4. To provide opportunities that will pre-dispose pupils to acquire the knowledge, skills and pre-vocational experiences that will enable them to discover their aptitude and potentialities in order to develop a longing for further improvement 5. To help pupils appreciate the dignity of labor

To achieve the above set objectives, the government phased out the