BE REMINDED: School Heads Must Accept Both Handwritten and Electronic Lesson Notes from Teachers – GES

BE REMINDED: School Heads Must Accept Both Handwritten and Electronic Lesson Notes from Teachers – GES

GES QUICKnews reminds all school heads that the Ghana Education Service has directed both basic and second-cycle institutions to accept teachers’ lesson notes in either handwritten or electronic form.

This directive, dated January 17, 2024, and signed by the Deputy Director-General of GES in charge of Quality Assurance and Administration, Dr. Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, was addressed to Regional Directors with the instruction to ensure that it is cascaded down to all District, Municipal, and Metropolitan Directors for strict compliance. 

The move follows reports of disagreements between some teachers and their school heads over acceptable formats for lesson note submissions. While some administrators insisted that only handwritten notes should be received, many teachers had adopted electronic preparation, a practice that reflects changing times and the growing use of technology in education.

According to the directive, both manual and electronic lesson notes are valid, and teachers may submit them either in printed form or through email, depending on what best suits their resources and circumstances. 

By reinforcing this flexibility, GES aims to remove unnecessary tensions in schools, improve workflow between teachers and administrators, and recognize the diverse tools available to teachers in lesson preparation. 

The Service further highlighted that this policy is not only about easing pressure on teachers but also about aligning school administration with modern standards, where technology is increasingly a part of teaching and learning.

The directive underscores GES’s commitment to maintaining harmony in the teaching environment while ensuring that quality standards are not compromised. 

By directing Regional Directors to monitor and enforce compliance at the district and local levels, the Service is making it clear that no head of school should reject lesson notes simply because they are electronically produced. 

This stands as a reminder that both traditional and modern approaches are equally acceptable, and that teachers should be supported in whichever method helps them to deliver effectively. In effect, the policy signals an effort to bridge the gap between conventional practice and technological adaptation, ensuring that Ghana’s schools remain both professional and progressive.