Prospect for developing school based extension support system in the central region of Ghana

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 an extension support system that is based in junior secondary schools (JSS) and senior secondary schools (SSS) The first phase was to find the perceived need and required conditions and inputs for an 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 officers (ddos) and farmers. Data collecting instrument was validated 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