Abstract:
The study was a survey conducted two phases in six randomly selected
districts of the Central Region of Ghana to determine the prospect for developing
senior secondary schools (SSS) The first phase was to find the perceived need and
extension support system in JSS and SSS.
The second phase was to determine the presence or absence, and the strengths or
weaknesses of the required conditions and inputs perceived by respondents in the
first phase to have influence on the school based extension support system.
Probability sampling techniques were used to select a sample size of 442
respondents comprising agricultural extension agents (AEAs), agricultural science
teachers (ASTs) and headmasters in SSS and JSS, district agricultural development
questionnaires (and structured interview for illiterate farmers). Data were analysed
using percent frequencies, relative frequencies and means. The prospect for school
based extension support system (SBESS) was determined by SWOC and force
field analyses.
Findings revealed a wide age range among farmers. Educational
qualifications of school heads and agricultural science teachers were quite high, as
required by the policy of the ministry of education and Sports. However, almost all
the AEAs were educated only up to the certificate level. Farmers had very low
levels of formal education.
Result showed an important need for an extension support system in the
Central Region. Prospect for SBESS was perceived as high, but higher in the JSS
than SSS. This could be attributed to closeness of the JSS to the farmers’ as a
result of it being community based. Agricultural science teachers, AEAs, students
and farmers were considered as relevant participants of SBESS. School heads and
DDOs were considered as supervisors.
Major required conditions and inputs for SBESS were; available time,
perceptions, attitudes and motivation of relevant participants; their competency
levels and education and cooperation among them; availability and quality of
students’ agricultural club, farm and farm equipment in the schools, and favourable
curricular, administrative and policy environments.
Over 38.0% of JSS in the study did not have school farms, but 36.7 percent
had farms that were suitable for SBESS. All the SSS had school farms, but only
23.8% of the farms were considered as suitable for SBESS
SWOC analysis revealed that the strongest driving forces for SBESS were
high level of motivation among the relevant participants, good cooperation spirit
between AEAs and ASTs (especially in the JSS), favourable attitudes of relevant
participants, and favourable policy environment. The strongest restraining forces
were: low level of education among farmers, inadequate supervision of agricultural
activities in the schools, inadequate funding of school agricultural activities, and
non-existence of active students’ agricultural club in schools.
Force field analysis revealed positive prospect for SBESS in both JSS and
SSS, but higher in the JSS. The prospect can be improved by overcoming the
major restraining forces.
