Formerly known as ICT, the new syllabus has named the subject “computing”. From Wikipedia, the definition for computing involves “any activity that uses computers. It includes developing hardwareand software, and using computers to manage, process, and communicate information for various purposes”.
The minister of education Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh stated in the Foreword of the syllabus that :”The new curriculum for Ghana’s primary schools is standards-based, which is our demonstration of placing learning at the heart of every classroom and ensuring that every learner receives quality education.
Provision of accessible quality education for all is non-negotiable if we are to meet the human capital needs of our country, required for accelerated sustainable national development. It is for this reason that the new curriculum sets out clearly the learning areas that need to be taught, how they should be taught and how they should be assessed.
It provides a set of core competencies and standards that learners are to know, understand and demonstrate as they progress through the curriculum from one content standard to the other and from one phase to the next.
The curriculum and its related teachers’ manual promote the use of inclusive and gender responsive pedagogy within the context of learning-centred teaching
methods so that every learner can participate in every learning process and enjoy learning.
The curriculum encourages the use of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) for teaching and learning – ICTs as teaching and learning materials.
Rationale For Primary Computing
The Minister further went on to provide some reasons as to why a computing syllabus was needed. He wrote : “Computing is one of the essential school subjects that permeates and can be applied to all areas of learning. This is because it provides students with access to important computing ideas, knowledge and skills that they can draw on in their personal and work lives, as well as their learning of other school subjects.
Computing learning provides the opportunity for students to develop essential skills and competencies, and motivates learners to become flexible problem solvers and life-long learners. In an increasingly technological age the possession of problem solving and decision-making skills is an essential pre-requisite and these are acquired in the learning of computing”.
Click here to download the new computing syllabus for upper primary (classes 4-6)
