The writer
In today’s Ghana, where social media, peer pressure, and academic competition are shaping the minds of our youth, literature offers more than stories—it provides guidance, reflection, and a roadmap for responsible citizenship.
This vision for literature in Junior High Schools (JHS) is now embodied in a new anthology, The Beacon of Light. Its introduction is not merely an update to the curriculum; it represents an opportunity to use literature as a transformative tool, preparing learners for both academic success and the complex social realities of our nation.
Recently, NaCCA, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), introduced The Beacon of Light, replacing ‘Cockcrow’, which had been used extensively to prepare learners for the literary world and academic life. The new text is approximately 85% rich in local content and serves as a beacon of hope for the country and for the youth in the Ghanaian community.
The genres in ‘The Beacon of Light’ are insightful and were intentionally developed to address problems faced by learners, as well as broader societal challenges. The text explores personality issues among students, national concerns such as disrespect among the teeming youth, fights in schools, educated irresponsibility among adults, domestic conflicts, and the dilemma between the educated and uneducated.
It also addresses environmental issues, encourages creative writing, and highlights the use of education to improve society. These themes are interwoven throughout the anthology, providing learners with opportunities to engage critically with both literature and real-world issues.
Unlike traditional English Literature teaching methods, which emphasise story appreciation, identification of literary devices, and answering questions, ‘The Beacon of Light’ should be taught as a tool for addressing societal problems. The authors appear to have paid close attention to the nation’s challenges, intending to use literature to foster solutions to issues that are increasingly escalating.
Although English as a Second Language (ESL) facilitators have begun using the text for instruction, no structured training programmes have been organised to adequately prepare teachers to implement this valuable material with purpose and intention.
Many facilitators continue to rely on methods they used to implement the enviable ‘Cockcrow’, which are insufficient for the new text. This situation is unfortunate, and immediate intervention is needed to bridge the gaps that have already emerged.
To ensure these gaps are effectively bridged, a series of well-planned training programmes is urgently needed to equip ESL facilitators with strategies for using literature to address national challenges. These include the growing influence of social media in fostering youthful rebellion, clashes among students in Senior High Schools (SHS), and incidents of violence and destruction of property during school activities.
There are also frequent misunderstandings among students within individual schools, sometimes escalating into physical fights, injuries, and even loss of life. Since learners are prepared for Senior High School at the Junior High level, literature remains a vital tool for mitigating these problems.
To translate these strategies into practice, effective implementation can only be achieved through training programmes that reveal the authors’ intentions and guide facilitators on bridging the gap between pedagogy and content.
The relevant educational authorities must urgently plan and implement nationwide training for ESL teachers to ensure that the anthology’s full educational potential is realised.
Beyond national-level training for ESL teachers, it is essential that educators across the country actively utilise their In-Service Education and Training (INSET) sessions to engage in structured peer teaching and collaborative professional development.
These sessions provide a platform for teachers to share best practices, discuss challenges, and support colleagues who may encounter difficulties in teaching literature effectively.
Furthermore, cluster-based training programmes should be designed to incorporate such peer-learning initiatives, creating opportunities for teachers to observe, practice, and refine innovative instructional strategies.
Extending these efforts further, it is also crucial to involve upper primary teachers in these training activities. By exploring effective methods of introducing literature to younger learners—through guided reading, comprehension exercises, and storytelling—teachers can create a strong foundation for literary appreciation that will benefit students as they progress to the Junior High level.
Collectively, these measures will not only enhance the pedagogical skills of ESL facilitators but also ensure that learners are better prepared, more engaged, and able to derive meaningful educational and societal insights from literature.
Beyond training, another crucial area impacting literature engagement is assessment. Substantial evidence shows that assessment significantly shapes how students learn and the strategies they adopt (Gibbs & Simpson, 2002).
Assessment can promote meaningful and sustained learning when students develop strong assessment literacy. Price, Rust, O’Donovan, Handley, and Bryant (2012) argue that for students to fully realise their academic potential, they must become “assessment literate,” acquiring a coherent understanding of assessment standards, criteria, methods, and the relationship between assessment and learning.
Assessment literacy extends beyond explicit knowledge to include tacit understanding, cultivated through experiential learning contexts where students actively engage in assessment processes and participate in communities of practice (Bloxham & West, 2007; O’Donovan, Price, & Rust, 2004). When structured to encourage active participation and learner agency, such environments foster reflective learning practices (Andrews, Brown, & Mesher, 2018).
It is, therefore, unsurprising that learners at the Junior High School level do not take the study of literature seriously.
Currently, literature accounts for only 10% of the marks after students have studied the voluminous text ‘Cockcrow’. If a child knows that, after three years of studying the text, only 10 marks are awarded, he is unlikely to exert sufficient effort to study the material or apply the knowledge embedded in it.
Furthermore, if a child needs about 80% to achieve Grade 1 in English Language, while literature accounts for only 10%, the child can attain high grades without engaging seriously with literature.
To encourage deeper learning, essay-type questions for literature should be introduced at the Basic level. Including literature among the essay options would compel students to engage thoroughly with the text and enhance critical thinking skills.
WAEC’s recent amendment of the BECE English paper, which now includes five standard questions on oral language, is a highly commendable step toward improving language competence at the Basic level.
However, this positive development also highlights the need for a parallel review of English Literature assessment. Currently, literature receives limited weighting, which diminishes its educational significance and student engagement at the Basic level.
A deliberate reconsideration of how English Language is assessed—giving literature its deserved emphasis—would not only strengthen its role in teaching and learning but also ensure that assessment reflects its potential to develop critical thinking, creativity, and cultural awareness among learners.
In conclusion, ‘The Beacon of Light’ represents a significant opportunity to enrich Junior High School literature education in Ghana. However, without well-structured teacher training and a reassessment of the current examination framework, its potential to cultivate a reading culture, critical thinking, and social awareness among learners will not be fully realised. Urgent action by educational authorities is needed to bridge gaps in pedagogy and assessment, ensuring that literature serves as both an academic and societal tool.
By Krobo Dehyie, ESL Instructor
