Understanding The New GES JHS And SHS Syllabus (NaCCA Curriculum) And The Common Core Programme (CCP)

The new Common Core Programme (CCP) Curriculum for Junior High School (Basic 7 to Basic 9) And Senior High School (Basic 10) is the second phase of the Pre tertiary curriculum review which started in 2017, with the KG and primary years programme currently being implemented by the Ghana Education Service since 2019.

It is a continuation of the KG-Primary 6 curriculum introduced in September 2019, the common core curriculum is a carefully designed programme of nine subjects for learners in Basic 7 to Basic 10 (JHS 1 – SHS 1) as part of learning experiences to prepare them for post-secondary education, the world of work or both.

Some of the subjects that make up the Common Core Programme include Religious and Moral Education, Creative Arts and Design, Social Studies, Sciences, Computing, Career Technology, Physical and Health Education.

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Thing To Note About The Common Core Programme (CCP)

1. The Common Core Programme (CCP) is a 4-yr programme comprising of 9 subjects which are; Maths, languages, Science (embodying both the Natural and Applied Sciences), RME, Physical and Health Education, Career technology, Social studies, computing, creative arts and design.
2. The CCP is a standard-based curriculum that seeks to develop the 6 key competencies of leaning such as critical thinking and problem solving in learners.
3. The CCP will take off in September, 2020.
4. NSAT will be conducted in JHS 2 to generate data for improvement at all levels of management and implementation. (NB: NSAT is an assessment, NOT an examination).
5. Placement exams into SHS will be conducted at the end of JHS 3; however, the mode and format is likely to change to reflect the CCP demands.
6. Before SHS 2, students take Common Core Exams to guide them in choosing a combination of courses for High School Diploma Programmes (HSDP) or Career-related programmes (CRP).
7. From SHS 2 -3, students decide either to pursue career-related programme or an academic one, or both.
8. Project work, community service and engagements will be integrated as part of a comprehensive learner assessment that emphasizes DOING.

Reasons For The Introduction Of The Common Core Programme (CCP)

The curriculum is designed around building character and nurturing values, in addition to ensuring a seamless progression for all learners from JHS to SHS and create clear pathways for academic and career-related programmes from Basic 11 (SHS2) to Basic 12 (SHS3).

Common Core Programme (CCP) seeks to address the shortfalls in the current school system in relation to learning and assessment and promote better high school education that meets the varied learning needs of the young people in the country.

Learning and Assessment Under the Common Core Programme (CCP)

The new reform will assess knowledge, skills, attitudes and values with emphasis on what learners can do, adding that in the 21st century it is no longer tenable for students to memorise facts and figures without being able to apply knowledge innovatively to solve everyday problems.

Again the learners will do personal projects, community project and/or community service as part of a comprehensive assessment programme designed under the National Pre Tertiary Assessment Framework.

An external assessment called the National Standards Assessment Test (NSAT) will be conducted in JHS 2 (Basic 8) to provide national-level indicators to promote learners’ progression, as captured in the National Pre Tertiary Curriculum Framework published by NaCCA in 2018.

Placement exams into SHS may still be conducted at the end of JHS 3 (Basic 9), adding, at the end of the CCP, the Common Core Examinations will be conducted, to guide learners in choosing a combination of courses either for academic or career-related pathways once they are already in the senior high schools,” he said.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has however debunked claims that the duration of JHS and SHS education has been reviewed.