It is a frightening norm in Umuofia here to see citizens being excluded from pursuing certain university courses, not because they haven’t passed their WASCE exams very well but because of the course they pursued in the SHS. Eg without science background you cannot pursue PA or Medical laboratory science etc.
The story of this young man, makes nonsense of that unfriendly and weird educational policy.
Born to Mr. Issifu and Ms. Fatimatu, a peasant farmer and a petty trader respectfully, and the 2nd out of nine(9) siblings. He attended Big Boss in Bolgatanga and pursued General Agricultural Science (with General Agric, Chemistry, and Elective Mathematics as his elective). They had no physics teacher, characteristic of the “northern” regions, so he didn’t have the privilege of learning a zlich about Physics.
He applied to University of Cape Coast, and strangely he was offered a Bsc. Physics, impossible right? Without any background in this highly specialized area, he graciously accepted the offer to challenge the STATUS QUO. A challenge he discharged with dexterity and finess. He was one of the best, if not the best in his class in that uncharted arena and had to be retained as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in the department to assist with the training of his junior colleagues.
The journey took him to Brazil to pursue Masters degree in his new found love through a merit-based scholarship which required passing a competitive exams before consideration. The game got “bloodier” as he graduated 6months ahead of the scheduled completion time. The beauty of the transcript he obtained would be reserved for a different time and space.
Currently, he holds PhD in Physics, which he further pursued in Brazil, and financed once again through another merit-based scholarship. He has successfully bagged the enviable title of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr.) in an area he knew nothing about at the SHS level, but for integrated science.
That is the story of Dr. Adamu Issifu , my biological brother, the one I immediately follow.
This is why I fully concur and praise highly the position of the Hon. Minister for Education about allowing business and Arts students to pursue engineering and other science-based courses at the universities. We must be broad in our policy directions.
Arts students are admitted into medicine in foreign countries, it hasn’t turned them into killing machines. Arts students who pursued nursing, are admitted to offer post basic PA, and it hasn’t made them murderers. Why close the direct door to them?
Is it not prudent to let them do access course for direct admission if at all we believe there is a vaccum which needs to be filled.
You can when given the opportunity, and space. No one is a tabula rasa.
The writer Shaibu Issifu Walga is a Dental Surgery Technician and Public Health Nutritionist at Kintampo Municipal Hospital, and the manager of Smile Dental Clinic