Why do I have to go to school? My son asked me one fine morning while I was getting him and his little sister and brother ready for school. Most parents including me want a better future for their children; so without thought my answer was ‘ to acquire knowledge for the future, get a good job, live a better life and help your family, community, country and the world at large’. If my recollections are not mistaken, this was exactly what my high school teacher also told us some years ago in one of our history classes. He then asked: Why do we have some educated people in the community who are poor?

Don’t get me wrong, my son loves school but I don’t know why he questioned it. Indeed we learn from the children too, especially when they come out with thought provoking questions.

A few days later after my son’s question about education, it struck me that he was absolutely right – if education truly serves a purpose, why all this hardship, mal-administration, corruption, poor sanitation, crime etc. in Ghana?

Does Ghana have academics – lawyers, doctors, professors, engineers and the list goes on?

If you, the reader, can say yes to the above then schooling seems to be a waste of time and resources. Please don’t give me the excuse that, it is the individual’s selfishness or greediness that has resulted in such acquired knowledge being underutilised.

Yes it boils down to the same point. To make things better after completion of school, at least a portion of what was learned could be used in a good way to serve the right purpose. Why is this not happening? Are we missing something in the education system? Okay my loving family (Ghanaian or the reader) please let’s find solutions to this unfortunate dilemma we have in our society. Solutions that can improve the lives of our beloved Ghanaian nation, the continent Africa and the whole wide world.