2020: Wassce Government Questions – Part 2

1. a) Define the term capitalism
   b) Explain four features of capitalism
2. a) Outline five factors that negatively affect the conduct of free and fair elections in a democratic state
3. a) State three features of the Unitary system of government b) Explain four features of the Federal system of government
4. a) List six sources of constitution b) Advance four arguments in favour of Written constitutions
5. a) Suggest five conditions under which the victory of a political party can be assured in an election.
6. a) Mention the three pre-colonial political systems in Ghana b) Highlight four reasons why chiefs are barred from partisan politics.
7. a) State three reasons for the formation of the United gold coast Convention b) Highlight four achievements of the United Gold Coast Convention
8. Account for five effects of the 1948 riots
9. Explain five reasons why the policy of Association was introduced under French Colonial Administration in West Africa
10. a) Explain briefly the purpose of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) b) Explain the four main institution of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)

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Parliament Adopts Report On Public Elections (Registration Of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, Constitutional Instrument (C. I.) 126

Parliament by a majority of 106 to 92 votes adopted the report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the controversial Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, Constitutional Instrument (C. I.) 126 submitted by the Electoral Commission (EC) after a heated debate on Tuesday June 09, 2020.

The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu citing the Standing Orders of the House challenged the Speakers ruling on the voice vote and called for a vote by ballot to be cast to determine those in favour of adoption of the report enabling individual MPs to be called one after the other to cast their votes under the supervision of Leadership from both sides of the House and Parliamentary Staff.

As anticipated, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs present in the House during the debate voted en bloc against the approval of the C.I. in line with their party’s aspiration while their counterparts from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) voted for it.

The new C.I. which matures at the close of day effectively amended the existing electoral regulation C.I. 91 thus making Ghana card and passports the only forms of identification one can use to get onto the new voters’ register.

The approval by the House invariably means all other forms of national identification including the existing voter’s identity card, birth certificate and other national documents cannot be used in registering for the new voter identification card.

According to the new legal authority, people who do not have any of the two documents, namely the Ghana card and passports would have to get two newly registered voters to guarantee for them before they can register, however no individual can guarantee for more than ten people.

The Instrument was laid in the House by the Majority Leader Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on Tuesday March 31, 2020 in accordance with Article 1 (17) of the 1992 Constitution and referred to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation for consideration and report pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House by the Speaker Rt. Hon. Prof. Michael Oquaye.

It is worthy to note that unlike regular bills it was impossible for Parliament to amend any part of the C.I. since Constitutional Instruments laid on the floor of the House automatically mature after twenty one sitting days and the House could only reject it or allow for it to mature.

Twenty-one out of the twenty five-member Subsidiary Legislation Committee members who were present at the Committee meeting on Wednesday June 3, 2020 had earlier voted 12-9 in favour of the Instrument to give legal backing to the EC to compile the new voter’s register.

Chairman of the Committee and MP for Bolgatanga East, Dr. Dominic Akuritunga Ayine moving the motion for the adoption of the Report of the Committee at the plenary seconded by the Ranking Member Hon. Yaw Buabeng Asamoah recommending that the House approves the C.I., explained that the Committee examined the C.I. within the ambit of the general objects of the Constitution.

He said the Committee was of the view that the rationale for the Instrument was in accordance with the powers of the Electoral Commission under Article 51 with respect to the compilation of a credible and widely accepted voter register for the conduct of public elections and referenda in the country.

According to the Committee Chairman, it was however regrettable that the Committee could not arrive at a consensus as to whether or not the exclusion of a driver’s licence, birth certificate and existing voter identification card from the C.I. 126 was constitutional.

He therefore lamented that the Committee could only recommend to the House by a majority decision to adapt its report and allow the C.I. to mature after the expiration of the twenty-one sitting days in accordance with Article 11 (7) of the Constitution and become law to enable the EC go ahead with the voter registration exercise based on provisions of the C.I.

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Allowance Of Trainees Will Be Paid As Soon As They Resume School- Dr. Matthew Opoku

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister Education of Ghana has made it clear to Teacher and Nurses Trainees who will be resuming on 15th June 2020 for their last year assessments will acquire their allowance as soon as possible.

The Education Minister and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Students’ Loan Trust Fund, Nana Kwaku Agyei said that allowances are going to be disbursed ‘soon’.

Government’s has consider to pay the allowances no matter the fact that Trainees have been domestic in the course of the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All allowances had been preserve with the aid of the authorities in the course of the restrictions to shut all public and personal faculties in the country.

“We favor to nation categorically that, allowances for Trainees will be handy at once as possible when students resumes schooling” He stated.

As traditional allowances will be paid via the Students’ Loan Trust Fund as they disburse the allowances into your E-ZWICH accounts.

“We would like to use this medium to inform all students to observe the stated protocols by Government to fight the enemy COVID-19. Wear your face masks when going for lectures, oftentimes use of the alcohol base sanitizers, wash your palms frequently beneath running water and have a look at social distancing to avoid the unfold of the virus on campus and also to Stay secure covid-19 is real” He added.

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We Will Continue To Pay Teacher And Nurses Trainee Allowance-Fmr. Prez. Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama says his government will not discontinue the fee of allowances to trainee instructors and nurses ought to he win the 2020 presidential elections.

The problem of allowances for trainees used to be a most important campaign problem prior to the 2016 popular elections.

The then NDC government in 2014 scrapped allowances of trainee teachers and nurses despite severe pressure on the government to rescind such decision.

Mahama at the time insisted that the decision allowed his authorities to amplify a variety of fitness and instructional infrastructure in the u . s . a . as well as dispose of the restrictions on admissions to the more than a few coaching institutions.

The NPP government, however, restored the allowances after prevailing the 2016 polls.

Mahama guarantees to preserve allowances

Speaking throughout one of his interactive digital conversations dubbed ‘Let’s discuss with JM’, Mahama said his authorities won’t cancel the allowances must he be elected as President in the upcoming elections.

“You know that it used to be a very quintessential issue in the run-up to the 2016 elections. What I had stated was once we have been going to migrate the health trainees and instructional trainees to the scholar loan scheme. Now what I have stated going up to the 2020 elections is that, we are going to let the reputation quo remain. It ability that we are going to proceed paying trainee allowances, however we will enhance the pupil mortgage and adapt it so that it serves the identical purpose as the allowances.”

“So we will expand the quantity beneath the Student Loan Trust [Fund] and then as a substitute of giving it to you as a lump sum, we will supply it to you at regular intervals so that you proceed to use it for the things you use it for. So, once we have done it and it’s eye-catching and it’s accurate enough for you, then we will now do the migration onto the student mortgage scheme. So for now, if I come to be the President on January 7, 2021, we will maintain the reputation quo. It skill that, we will proceed to pay the allowances and when we have expanded and made it attractive for all college students to go for it, then we will now do the migration onto the student mortgage scheme. So that’s my role on it as of now,” he said.

The scrapping of the allowances by means of the then Mahama government used to be met with stiff opposition from trainees and a section of the Ghanaian public.

Groups such as the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association (GNMTA) lambasted authorities over the issue.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the time promised to restore the allowances have to it win the 2016 time-honored elections.

John Mahama at the time strongly defended the go and even said it would be “better to lose on precept than win using falsehood. We’ll now not reverse the decision.”

Why Tutors In Colleges Of Education Should Provide All Necessary Course Materials To Students To Learn On Their Own, Instead Of The E-Learning.

It has been a while now that this pandemic has invaded the world in which Ghana has also gotten it share.

Due to the nature of the pandemic, and how it spread, the world and for that matter even the advanced countries have to close down many institutions including the educational sector.
Ghana was not an exemption.

When the first case was recorded in Ghana here, a decision was made to close down (almost) all institutions in Ghana here.
One of them was the educational sector. Schools in the various levels have been close down close to (three months), including universities and the colleges of education throughout the country.

Due to this closure, measures was being taken to make sure that, teaching and learning was in place.
So, the idea of E-learning came out, so that, even when you are in your various homes, you can attend classes through an App called Zoom.
This E-learning and it’s related matters brought up many challenges.
Some of them are; Network availability, even unavailability of smart phones to some of the students and the worse of it is the financial constraint to buy data.

When all these things are happening, instead of the tutors to make (all) available the course materials for the students to learn at their comfort of their homes through their class platforms (WhatsApp), many of them (tutors) are depending on the Zoom Meetings and the likes.

The various Apps created by the various Colleges of Educations especially Nusrat Jahan Ahammadiah College of Education in Wa.
The log in sometimes is difficult because it needs a Strong network.

Then tutors should make all course materials on their various class platforms to ease students stress in assessing the Zoom Meeting and the other E-learning platforms.
When this is done , even those that are not using smart phones can contact their colleagues to print out their soft copy as hard copy. Some Tutors may question that, they have given out course materials, and my point also is that, having the full material will help you to schedule your studies time appropriate.

So still when (all) the course materials are made available to students it will help.

I hope my appeal will go a long way to yield a result for the betterment of the students in Ghana, especially of the great NJA CoE Wa and the Tutors themselves.
Long leave Ghana
Long leave Jahan and
Short leave Corona Virus.

BY BAALASAAYE GABRIEL NJA CoE WA.

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Students Should Be Allowed To Use Phones When School Reopens

On last Sunday evening, the President of the Nation, Akufo-Addo eased some of the Covid-19 restrictions which allow schools to be opened for only final year students. This is to make sure that, the final year students complete their final exams.

Also, yesterday the Education Minister said the final year SHS students will be in school for 11 weeks. With this, no parent will be allowed to visit their wards during this period.

Mr. Alexander Danso, the president of the PTA Council, has said, “Barring their parents from visiting them is quite unfortunate but I understand them because if you allow parents to be going at this time of the Covid-19 outbreak (it won’t be the best)”

He again added that, “If they are not allowing parents to visit, at least they should allow the students to carry feature phones only for calls and SMS so that they will be able to interact with their parents because staying in one place without seeing your child for 11 weeks will be a problem.”

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May the initiator who through his innovative tactics initiated this convincing program, E-learning in Ghana amidst this critical moment where this deadly Titan lays it’s evil paws on the terrestrial plate. Thumbs up for him for such an out classed initiative.
E- learning has numerous advantages on education and the students as well as the students can learn faster and also get updated on issues concerning education and many other current affairs.
E- learning can never achieve maximum results because of many reasons that are seen as an obstacle for E-learning. Ghana has many challenges when it comes to efficiency of telecommunication. We have Soo many years not been able to advance in telecommunication hence our channel of communication through the network medium is never effective. Kwaku Oduro Kwateng Junior,a student in Northenharm University spoke on how difficult it is to adopt the E-learning method. E-learning is never a patch on the usual traditional learning or education. He retorted as I shared my sentiment with him “even here in the United kingdom, where we have advanced in technology do face challenges when it comes to the issue of E-learning “He lamented, “Ghana will never and can never adopt the E-learning system in this critical moment”.
Majority of students are enshrined in remote areas where sometimes the means to get access to Internet is limited hence they will have to embark on a Long distance walk before they can access the internet . Not that alone, those living in cities and towns on sometimes have problem with charges on credit. Networks are not consistent so the student can miss lectures online .The zero reception zone (places without network reception) surely students will not be able to become beneficiaries of this E-learning. Charges billed on credit by network providers is something that is really heartbreaking for both the poor and the affluent.This can only hold when the network system is of such an high quality . The close bond between the tutor and the student is never going to be effective since student doesn’t constantly see his/tutor and his style of teaching. Moreover, the pedagogical and methedology to deliver lessons as a teacher is restricted as there wouldn’t be any form of practical involvement or student. Teaching is always done in theoretical manner which wouldn’t enhance effective understanding of what is being delivered to the learner. The roles, responsibilities of tutors are not effectively deployed to meet the needs of students. Management processes and practices need clear, careful and consistent (the three C’s)attention and institutional support. In this case we cannot factor in the three C’s for they don’t work with E-learning. For this system to work effectively, it must be retooled to match the current education system practiced hear in Ghana. E-learning doesn’t appeal to all learning styles so some learner’s especially strong activists and pragmatics cannot get accustomed to this system. It is a challenge to these groups as different people learn better or worse using different styles. I’m pretty much aware that this system is only deviced to work on temporal .
Questions are easily answered when the student beholds the tutor “tete-a-tete”. Students are not given ample time to study or to revise on what is being thought to them. Possibly, this is not going to take effect now for it is a total destructions to our education as Ghanaians’
Let’s not forget that, many learning platforms have been created and this is really getting students more disturbed . Platforms are created daily all because there is inconsistency in network system. It is very unpopular to disclose that, I have about four platforms for one course so with this where lies the senuity of this system. It is rather putting us at a tight corner. Countless number of students have really not been able to hook on to many learning platforms yet lectures are still in progress. This issue tastes sour to swallow. Attempts to join the various platforms have proved futile. This issue must be resolved and is a matter of urgency for we can’t allow this to demoralise our education. Students are subjected to total suffocation for it is mandatory to take part in this activity. It dawns on every student to follow proceedings of this E-learning. Statiscalyt, multitude of students are not able to follow the proceedings of the lectures but no one has bothered to critically embark on research with regards those who are not able to do the online studies. It would have been better if the education board had consulted students before initiatig this system. This is shear nuisance on the part of the education board. We lamented enough to propagandize for freedom from this system of slavery to education services. Our petitions were channeled to the gentleman of this holy Land but no good news emanated from the corridors of our president.
Electronic gadgets to aid in this learning is something hard to find in this country or Africa to be precise. Gone are the days where it was considered “haram” to send phones to school for it was unlawful until it became an out law at the tertiary Level. Even with this, how many students have been able to afford buying the phones let alone to recharge credit for browsing. Perhaps a student may store informations after recording. Here is the case where these electronic gadgets (recorder, hard disk drive) are scarce to find. This indeed puts them off to even study. Students are poised to study but not under this system. Let’s not also not forget that this pandemic has ruined the life of mortal being. It has put the entire nation into fear and panic as there is an increamental increase in the number of people who are found to be infected by this pandemic. Psychologically, we are in the state of dilemma and we shouldn’t be in haste to plan for such.
I’m pretty much aware that honorable minister of education read vividly through the article on why allowances must be paid where I stated clearly that money is hard to find these days so it has really impeded the nation’s economic development. This has got an adverse effect on social, economic, education and religious activities (SEEL) Students cannot afford to buy credit to get access to Internet. There is also an issue of light out daily at some places hence electronic gadgets may have their batteries run down. This is also another challenging obstacle for E- learning.
I’m highly perceived that this approach deviced to scale up learning in this critical moment wouldn’t ensure any dramatic transformation of learning.
Honorable minister, this is our plea to plead for your mercy .
The voice to voice the voiceless voice

By: Kwame Agyen Acheampong.
St Joseph’s College Of Education.

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