Ghana’s new basic education curriculum aims to equip learners with essential skills such as logical thinking, problem-solving, communication and global awareness.
These skills are vital for learners to thrive both now and in the future.
However, a growing concern is threatening this goal: academic overload.
This occurs when children are given too much information or too many demanding tasks at once, exceeding their working memory capacity and leading to stress, confusion and difficulty retaining knowledge.
Causes include curriculum overload, excessive content in a limited time and poor instructional design, such as complex explanations.
It is quite disturbing to witness that some parents have noticed that their children forget what they learn shortly after school.
Meanwhile, it is common to see young pupils with heavy school bags, filled with multiple textbooks, as if more books automatically mean better learning.
A former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Michael Kenneth Nsowah, described Ghana’s curriculum as ‘overloaded,’ warning that this negatively impacts education quality.
‘In the good old days, some of us wrote the common entrance, the equivalent of today’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in just two subjects: English and Maths.
But today, BECE candidates write exams in nine subjects. (Michael K. Nsowah, Citi FM, 2016.)
Nsowah further cautioned that schools cannot be expected to handle every aspect of a child’s education.
Trying to cover too much material can weaken both teaching and learning quality.
Extra classes
The problem deepens as some parents hire private tutors for weekend and holiday lessons.
At the same time, some teachers assign heavy homework loads despite long school hours. Is it true that some basic schools also organise extra and vacation classes?
But do these extra lessons really help? Or do they simply add to the learners’ burden?
Have you not noticed that many learners struggle to apply what they learn to real-life situations?
Beyond academic pressures, many learners face other difficulties.
Some travel long distances daily to get to school. Others deal with financial hardship, family breakups or illness at home, all of which make learning harder.
When overwhelmed by too much work, learners can become anxious and stressed.
They may lose focus in class and even lose interest in school altogether.
Over time, academic overload can cause them to fall behind and make it harder for learners with different learning needs to keep up.
This article highlights the devastating effects of academic overload in basic schools with the hope of reducing academic stress, while improving learning outcomes.
Learning disparities
We cannot talk about learning overload without addressing learning disparities. Not all learners in Ghana have equal access to resources.
Learners from wealthier homes often get homework help, internet access and private tutoring. But those in rural or underserved areas struggle to find even basic learning materials.
For learners already behind, extra work without support only widens the gap.
This may explain why many of them in poor communities continue to struggle, despite school attendance.
Learning differences
Learners learn in different ways. Some understand lessons quickly, while others need more time, examples or repetition.
A study in public basic schools in the Greater Accra Region found that although teachers often notice struggling learners, many do not fully understand learning disabilities (Special Attention Project, 2011).
In view of this, many learners with learning challenges suffer silently, especially when lessons move too fast or are overloaded.
Instructional pace
Instructional pace refers to how fast teachers cover lessons.
This affects how well learners learn. Due to many strands to cover, large class sizes and extracurricular activities, some teachers rush through lessons.
Consequently, there is little time for questions or practice, and many learners lack confidence in their subjects.
In conclusion, Basic education is the foundation for lifelong learning. To improve education quality in Ghana, we must pay attention to academic overload.
Educators and policymakers must ask: Can we adjust teaching methods and lesson plans to create better classrooms for all learners?
A balanced pace, reasonable workload and support for all learners regardless of background or learning style may be the key to unlocking true quality basic education.
The writer is an Institutional Assessment Practitioner
