Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the Member of Parliament(MP) for Akim Swedru, has urged the John Mahama government to upgrade at least one SHS in each of Ghana’s 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to reduce placement pressure.
The MP argued that his proposal will help reduce the intense competition for places in Ghana’s most prestigious senior high schools.
Kennedy Osei Nyarko highlighted that MMDA should have at least one well-resourced SHS with quality teaching staff and facilities equivalent to some of Ghana’s best-known Category A schools.
In a Facebook post, Kennedy Osei Nyarko stated, “I think it’s time for the country to at least upgrade one secondary school in each of the 261 MMDAs to a first-class Category A school with quality teaching staff to the level of Achimota, PRESEC, Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Wesley Girls, Prempeh’s etc”.
“Students who want Category A schools will remain in their respective Districts instead of the current approach where every student wants placements at the most prestigious and recognised Category A schools in other regions,” he stated.
His comment follows parents whose children are yet to secure placement into Senior High Schools (SHSs) storming the GNAT Hall in Accra.
According to reports, the frustrated parents who besieged the GNAT Hall to address concerns from parents and candidates facing difficulties with the placement process led to a glass door at the entrance of the facility breaking.
The heavy crowd at the GNAT Hall underscores the level of frustration and desperation among some parents who have been struggling to secure placements for their wards.
Some affected parents have expressed dissatisfaction with the placement process, appealing to the authorities to take immediate steps to resolve the outstanding placement challenges.
The parents are appealing to the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education and President John Dramani Mahama to urgently intervene in the ongoing placement challenges.
In related news, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the former Minister of Education, has weighed in on the Senior High Schools (SHSs) placement brouhaha.
According to Adutwum, Ghana need to expand and upgrade Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country to address the growing pressure on placement in Category A schools.
He highlighted that there is a need to look beyond the immediate placement exercise and address the underlying problem of limited access to highly sought-after Category A schools.
The former education minister highlighted that upgrading existing schools and giving them the necessary resources will help spread demand and reduce the intense competition for places in Category A schools.
Speaking on Adom FM, Dr Adutwum stated, “Everyone wants the child to go to a first-class school, so when we were in government we built more schools and resourced them and also affiliated a headmaster with a Category A school”.
“So, like what we did at Abomosu SHS, we replicate PRESEC at Abomosu, so it was one of the best STEM schools in Ghana,” he said.
“There should be a formal arrangement for deliberate presentation of over four days; nobody asked me about the STEM schools. There should be an intentional transition arrangement,” he said.
He further noted that schools currently do not provide enough opportunities for students who struggle in particular subjects to receive interventions or retake courses.
Adutwum added, “We don’t give children any intervention to resit courses in school during the school term”.
“So, if they fail Mathematics, it is not new, that was why we wanted to introduce transcripts alongside the WASSCE results,” he said.
“Other countries have deliberate policies; in Ghana we politicise even education,” he said.
@ghnow_ Hon. Sam George helped students climb onto the newly commissioned seesaw at the Prampram Cluster of Schools, ensuring the pupils could safely enjoy the new recreational facility. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Alleged leaked audio of Nana B condemning Bawumia, endorsing Ken Agyapong #GHNow #fyp ♬ EpicSymphony – mosn
