Youth Education Program: A Student's Perspective

GHEI's Youth Education Program (YEP) began in 2003 with the recruitment of 16 Junior High School Form 1 students. Originally called “English Literacy,” the program was built around offering supplemental classes focussed on English language skills and critical thinking. As the program progressed GHEI saw the need to expand the curriculum to the core subjects (English, Math, Integrated Science, and Social Studies) to better prepare our students for their Basic Education Certification Exam (BECE), which students must pass to be admitted to a senior high school.

In rural areas school resources are often scarce in comparison to schools located in cities, and classrooms are often overcrowded. To address these concerns, YEP classes are provided to students in a small group setting with a variety of materials and resources that are not commonly available within the local schools. All classes are conducted in English, Ghana's national language. The YEP classes not only improve students' ability to excel on their BECE but also encourage active learning and critical thinking, providing students with the skills they need for a successful future.

I recently had a chance to get a student’s perspective on YEP in an interview with Akosua Akrasi-Gyapong, a 14-year-old Form 3 student.

How did you become a part of YEP?

I joined when I was in Form 1 because I want to better my education.

How does the program help you with your studies? 
 
If the teacher at my school teaches something that I do not understand, I can come to YEP classes to have our teachers here explain it to me. I study English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

What is your favourite subject?

I don’t actually know, because I enjoy all my subjects. Hmm. Maybe maths. I like solving the math problems.

What would you like to be when you grow up?

My father says I should study hard to become a doctor. I would like to be a bank manager, or a doctor. I like maths, so bank manager would be good because they have to be very strong in maths to be good at their job.

How will you make this happen?

By getting good grades! (laughs)

What advice would you give to future YEP students?

I want to tell them that they should take good care of the opportunity to study with the YEP program at GHEI. It has helped me so much in my studies.

Did you go on the youth learning tour last year?

Yes, I went to Cape coast and to see the Akosombo dam. It helped me see all sorts of places of interest.

Why is the youth learning tour important to you?

It helps to study more things about my country. We learned a bit about these places at school. At first I didn’t believe my teachers, but then I arrived at these sites and saw for myself that these things are true. Youth Excursion helps the youth study things about our past and to try to do things for our country.

Thank you and good luck with school!

Meda w’ase!



Please donate what you can to make GHEI's Youth Learning Tour Possible for students like Akosua:
http://www.causes.com/actions/1696235

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