We Teach Subjects but Not Emotions: The Need for Emotional Intelligence Education in Ghanaian Schools

While Ghana’s education system continues to focus heavily on academic performance, it often neglects a vital life skill: emotional intelligence. The absence of emotional literacy in our schools is quietly shaping a generation that may know much but understand little about themselves and others.

In Ghanaian classrooms, children learn mathematics, science, English, and social studies but rarely learn about themselves. They are taught to calculate, recite, and memorise, yet few are taught how to understand, manage, and express their emotions. The result is a generation excelling academically but struggling silently with emotional confusion, anxiety, anger, and poor interpersonal relationships.

The Missing Element in Our Education System

Success in Ghanaian schools has long been measured by examination scores, often overlooking emotional and psychological development, which sustains real-life success. In many schools, children are scolded for crying, shamed for showing fear, and told to “be strong” instead of being guided to understand their feelings.

Emotional intelligence (EI)—the ability to recognise, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others—remains absent from the national curriculum. As an educator and mental health professional, I have witnessed how emotional neglect translates into behavioural issues, poor academic performance, and even mental health crises. A child who cannot process frustration may become aggressive, while a student unable to manage stress may withdraw or lose interest in learning. Emotional illiteracy silently sabotages the academic and social potential of many Ghanaian children.

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters

Research consistently shows that emotional intelligence is a stronger predictor of life success than IQ. Students with higher EI perform better academically, relate well with peers, and demonstrate leadership qualities. Emotional education helps children:

• Develop empathy and respect for others.
• Manage anger, disappointment, and stress constructively.
• Build self-awareness and confidence.
• Make responsible and ethical decisions.

In a society where depression, suicide, and youth violence are on the rise, emotional education is not a luxury—it is a necessity.

Integrating Emotional Literacy into the Curriculum

Incorporating emotional intelligence into Ghana’s basic school curriculum is both feasible and practical. It does not require removing existing subjects but enriching them with emotional learning experiences. For example:

• English lessons: Students can explore characters’ emotions in stories.
• Religious and Moral Education (RME): Teachers can discuss how emotions influence moral choices.
• Social Studies: Learners can engage in empathy-based discussions about social issues.

Additionally, teachers should receive training in emotional intelligence to model empathy, patience, and understanding in the classroom. School counsellors must also be empowered to promote emotional literacy programmes in collaboration with teachers.

The Role of Parents and Policy Makers

Parents play a vital role in reinforcing emotional education at home. Instead of dismissing a child’s feelings, they should validate and guide them through emotional experiences.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education must collaborate with psychologists, counsellors, and curriculum experts to design structured emotional intelligence programmes for all levels of education. If we can teach a child to read and write, we can teach them to feel and understand—both essential skills for life.

Conclusion: Educating the Whole Child

Education should not only prepare children for exams but for life itself. Emotional intelligence education is not about replacing academic excellence but about humanising it—ensuring that children grow not only in knowledge but also in compassion, resilience, and self-control.

It is time Ghana took a bold step to include emotional literacy in the curriculum. When we teach emotions, we build stronger minds, better citizens, and a more peaceful nation.

The writer is a Lecturer at Kings and Queens Medical University College, Ghana.

By Elkanah Frederick Ayittey

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