William Nlanjerbor Jalulah, the Upper East Regional chairman for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has raised questions about the relevance of “Career Day” events in private schools, expressing concerns over the educational value and financial implications.
Mr. Jalulah was particularly concerned about the ages of the children involved.
He noted this on Dreamz FM on Monday, criticising the practice where young pupils are encouraged to dress up in attire representing their chosen professions.
“Children of five years, six years, seven years, and you say that the child should tell the profession she wants to do. And parents will have to sew uniforms or dresses that will match with the profession the child is choosing and then they will go to the school in that attire,” Mr. Jalulah remarked.
Highlighting the variability of children’s career aspirations over time, Mr. Jalulah questioned the practicality and the financial burden on parents.
“This year, the child says I want to be a fire service officer. The following year, the child will say he wants to be a musician, the following year the child says I want to be a doctor. What sense does it make? And parents are spending hugely on these things,” he lamented.
Mr. Jalulah suggested an alternative approach where pupils are educated on appropriate attire rather than extravagant dress-up events.
Moreover, Mr. Jalulah criticized the lack of parental involvement in decision-making processes within some private schools. “Parents are complaining everywhere but interestingly, I don’t know what they do in PTAs,” he said, expressing disappointment over how some private schools handle Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings.
“And some of the private schools, unfortunately when they have PTA meetings, they just go and announce what they want to do and not what parents should speak about. They just announced that we have increased fees, we have introduced new school uniforms, we have introduced new school clothes, we have introduced new school Lacoste and all of that. And that’s all. And it shouldn’t be so,” he said.
The GJA chairman further called for parents to voice their concerns and take actions to put a stop to these events. “Parents will have to start raising concerns about these things and stop it. It doesn’t make sense. It’s needless,” he emphasized.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga|
