Former Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Adutwum, has described Ghana’s junior high school (JHS) system as the “missing and weakest link” in the country’s educational structure, citing it as a major factor undermining students’ preparedness for higher education.
Speaking on Starr Chat with Bola Ray on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Dr. Adutwum said the nation’s decision to shorten the duration of secondary education has had long-term negative effects on academic outcomes.
“When it was our time in junior high school, we had O level, A level — a full seven years of secondary education,” he recalled. “Some came from villages or difficult areas, did their middle school, and then progressed. But what we did as a nation is transition to junior high school and cut four years off secondary school.”
He explained that, by law, Ghana’s junior high schools fall under basic education rather than secondary, making the country one of the few globally with just three years of secondary schooling — a structure he believes hampers learning.
“In our law, junior high school is part of basic education, not secondary. That makes Ghana one of the few countries in the world with just three years of secondary education, and that worries me,” Dr. Adutwum stated.
The former minister argued that the shortened system compresses critical learning into a limited timeframe, leaving students underprepared for tertiary education.
He warned that this “accelerated” approach restricts opportunities for students to develop essential analytical and problem-solving skills needed for success beyond basic education.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
