Another class letter

Dear Class, January 17, 2009

I thought it would be interesting to talk a bit about education here in Ghana. It works a little differently here than it does in the States. For example, in Ofosu here, we only have elementary school and J.S.S. (junior high school). To move from elementary to J.S.S., the students must take an all-encompassing final exam. If they do not pass, they cannot move on.
Similarly, students who want to go to S.S. (high school) must take an exam covering all they have learned in J.S.S. Because we do not have an S.S. in Ofosu, students here must also list their top six choices of all the S.S. schools in Ghana. If they pass the exam, they will then be assigned one of those six schools, along with a topic of study (i.e. general arts, poly-technic, etc.). All of the student's classes will revolved around this topic, although they have a few core classes outside of the topic as well. Students who come to S.S. from out of town, like the students from Ofosu, live in dormitories and have a cafetaria where their meals are prepared. This is a nice amenity, but also very expensive. School fees this past year averaged 450 Ghana cedis, which would be closer to US$2,500 in our economy. In the south, however, many towns have their own S.S. schools, and the students can remain at home, so the fees are a bit lower.
For students in Ofosu, however, going to highschool is similar to going to college in the U.S. It's not as common, and they must move away from home to do so. They're also usually about the same age as college students in the U.S.-- seventeen or eighteen years old. Many students don't enter scchool as young as we do in the states or they're taken out at various times to helpat farm, with the family, or they simply don't have the money that year to pay for school fees. In the south, however, it is different. I saw many more students finishing S.S. at eighteen, as opposed to starting.
After S.S., if students choose to go on, which is rare in this part of Ghana, most will take another exam to place them in a training college with another specific major. Just like S.S., they have very little choice in where and what they study, so many students may opt not to go or to wait if they are given an assignment they do not care for. I was talking to a guy my age that other day who, for one reason or another, has been waiting to go to S.S. for six years because he only want to go for general arts. and that topic is always filled.
It is after two to four years of training college that students move on to university. Some go straight from S.S. to university, but you're more likely to be insured a job if you go through a training college. You get a lot more hands-on experiences that way.
The common alternative to all of this, however, especially for Ghanaian girls who are less likely afforded the opportunity for education out of obligation to the family, is apprenticeships. Every trade has a system of apprenticeships. The most commonly seen in Ofosu are hairdressers and seamstresses. These trades are in the highest demand, because most people have their clothes custom made, and women often wear their hair in braids or weaves. Custom-made clothing sounds pretty fancy, I know, but here it's the only way-- unless you buy second-hand clothing that's shipped in from abroad. There aren't any clothing stores like we have in the States. You simply go to market, buy a certain yardage of fabric, and then take it to a seamstress or tailor and tell him or her what you would like.
I have actually started an informal seastress' apprenticeship myself, so I can tell you a bit about my experience. As with most things in Ghana, it is very hierarchicaly. When you're wearing your uniform you must bow to your Madame (teacher_ and all other Madames and elders in the village. When you return home, you must bow to your mother and father before taking off your uniform. You must stand straight all of the time, and if your Madame addresses you, you must stand.
I initiated my study by bringing a member of my household, sodas, and beer to my Madame, along with a said fee. Tehn we signed an agreement that outlined all of the rules and terms. Our agreement includes four days out of the week at the workshop and one day of service to my Madame. So, we work Monday-Wednesday and Friday, and on Thursday we go to farm or do work around the house. This past Thursday we built a bathing room at my Madame's house.
Upon finishing the apprenticeship, which usually takes about three years, but my Madame says I can do it in one and a half or two, [Many of the apprentices have little to no formal schooling, so they are not familiar with math. This makes taking measurements hard for them, and it takes them a bit longer to learn how to do it.] I will pay another another fee and purchase twenty-four yams, a chicken, and two cases of soda to host a small gathering of all nearby seamstresses and apprentices. My Madame will publicly bless me at this occassion, and then I am free to go about my work as I wish. Schooling in Ghana generally includes a lot of prayer. It is a widely Christian nation. At the workshop, we pray before opening and closing each day, and when my machine arrived, the first thing my Madame did was pray over it. It's very different from our seperation of church and state in the States.
Well, I think that cover it for now. As always, feel free to ask questions!

Sincerely,
Ama Cynthia