Kwesi Pratt, the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, has shared how he lost interest in mathematics while in secondary school.
According to the veteran journalist, he lost interest in maths after being repeatedly challenged by his maths teacher to explain the method he used to arrive at correct answers.
Kwesi Pratt explained that he was able to provide the correct answers to mathematics questions but struggled to explain the method used to arrive at the answers.
Speaking on Peace FM on September 9, 2026, Kwesi Pratt Jnr stated, “In secondary school from Form One to Form Three, mathematics, when the questions are put on the board, I am able to give the answer. The teacher will then say, ‘Your answer is correct, but what is your method?’
“But the answer is correct, so if my method is wrong, how did I get [the answer]? Anytime I am asked to show how I got the answer, I couldn’t. By Form Three, I lost interest in mathematics. The method of teaching mathematics is so wrong,” he said.
“If you don’t get a certain grade in English and Mathematics, you cannot enter the university. Is that a fair system of education? If we followed that programme, I wouldn’t have entered GIJ,” he added.
In related news, Daniel Fenyi, the Public Relations Officer for Ghana Education Service (GES), has said BECE candidates who fail Mathematics or English Language or both must remain at the Junior High School (JHS).
According to the GES spokesperson, students who fail to qualify for Senior High School placement should remain at the basic level to receive the necessary support to retake the examination the following year.
He argued that students who do not meet the required standard should be allowed to improve their performance rather than being pushed to the next level.
The GES PRO stressed that progressing students to Senior High School despite failing to attain the expected basic literacy and numeracy skills will leave them struggling academically.
Daniel Fenyi explained that, just as a student who repeats class five remains in that class to strengthen their understanding, students who obtain grade 9 should similarly be given time to improve their basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, the GES Public Relations Officer, Daniel Fenyi, stated, “Students who fail to meet the required standard should be allowed to continue schooling at the basic level rather than progress to the next stage without the necessary foundational skills”.
“The message is that you repeat the class, you repeat the JHS. You will learn, we will strategise, we will advise you, and then we take the exams next year,” he said.
“If we push you to senior high school, you are simply going to struggle a lot at senior high school, he said.
@ghnow_ Hon. Sam George has commissioned a newly constructed 3-unit classroom block at Afienya, providing improved learning facilities for pupils and supporting a better educational environment in the community. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – zakboy NDC
@ghnow_ Hon. Sam George helped students climb onto the newly commissioned seesaw at the Prampram Cluster of Schools, ensuring the pupils could safely enjoy the new recreational facility. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
