What is your current position?
I am the Academic Head of a private international school in Accra, Ghana offering the Cambridge programmes such as the Cambridge International Primary Programme, the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the Cambridge A’ Level.
These programmes are organized by the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), UK, which is the world’s largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for 5 to 19 year olds.
What do you do in your present job?
As the Academic Head, I am responsible for providing a strong academic leadership in order to ensure the highest possible standards of academic excellence. To achieve this, I periodically organise in-service training for the teaching staff in the Cambridge curriculum and assist teachers in using teaching methods that really work in the interest of our students. Apart from vetting teachers’ lesson notes, I also supervise teaching and learning in class as a way of assessing how teachers deliver the content of the curriculum and provide useful feedbacks for consideration by teachers.
Furthermore, I brief prospective parents and students on admission procedures of the school, the nature of the programmes we run and also administer entrance examinations. Finally, I serve as the examination coordinator of the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) for my school.
What was the subject of your thesis?
My thesis looked at the need to enforce policies that ensure quality education in the face of increased enrolment figures in basic schools in Ghana. With the inception of Education for All (EFA), attention has been focused on creating access to education. In 2004, the government of Ghana abolished school fees in basic schools and this led to a lot of children of school going age finding themselves in school. One thing was clear: quality education was in danger due to the limited educational infrastructure and other teaching and learning materials.
Using UNESCO framework for understanding education quality, my thesis investigated how national policies on quality education in Ghana have been implemented to ensure that despite the surge in enrolment figures, quality education was not sacrificed on the altar of access to education.
In what terms has your CIE master helped you in getting where you are today?
My CIE master has really propelled me to my current position. It made me stand out among my peers due to its international and comparative dimension. As noted earlier, my school runs international programmes and so they were looking for someone with a sound knowledge in international education and CIE in no doubt gave me the needed advantage to be employed as the Academic Head.
Why did you choose the CIE programme?
As a trained teacher for 8 years prior to the CIE master, I found myself teaching in an international school with 42 different nationalities. The culture of the school was far different from my former public schools and the curriculum was an international one. After two years of teaching in this school, I was given a management position which required some in-depth knowledge in international education. I therefore thought of pursuing a course with an international dimension in order to enhance my career in the international environment and I found CIE to be very useful after reading on it at the UiO website. Having been enrolled on to the programme, my expectations were met beyond my imagination. I now professionally understand and appreciate the learning environment in our international schools.
Where do you see yourself career wise in the future?
With such a strong foundation from CIE, I see myself working as a consultant in the area of quality education using my company ‘Eden Educational Consult’ which has been providing in-service training for schools seeking to offer the Cambridge programmes. This career path has largely been influenced by my interest in quality issues which was one of the focus areas of CIE.
Finally, CIE should watch out for my own school which will be established in a few years.
Any additional comments you may have for future applicants to the CIE programme are welcome
For future applicants or anyone seeking an international education with a comparative dimension, look no further. CIE caters for all that and more. Issues in international education are transient and CIE is reviewed periodically to keep up with these changes and thus give you up to date information on international education.
Whiles pursuing the programme, do not be an island to yourself, bond with your colleagues and build a pool of international friends. Read wide and follow current issues in education and you will come out from CIE a much fulfilled person.