Guide children to select SSS programmes - Education Director

Sunyani (B/A) July 21, GNA - Mr. Philip Awuah, Assistant Director of Education in-charge of training and staff development at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly has called on parents and guardians to guide their final-year Junior Secondary School children or wards to select programmes for the Senior Secondary School according to their aptitude and ability.

Mr. Awuah gave the advice at a meeting of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Christ International JSS in Sunyani.

The meeting was convened to make the parents and guardians aware of a decision by the school authorities to repeat some Form Two students because of poor academic performance.

Speaking on "Counselling and Guidance", Mr. Awuah said the selection of a programme in the Senior Secondary School should necessarily be of relevance to the student's future career. He condemned the practice whereby some parents allowed their final-year JSS children alone to select programmes at the SSS during registration of BECE.

"The practice that some final-year JSS students follow their friends and select programmes for SSS is doing more harm than good to such students at the SS level since it later become clear that they find it extremely difficult to cope with the chosen programme," he explained.

Mr. Awuah said for instance a student aspiring to become a medical doctor or a nurse should assess his or her ability in General Science, while an aspiring journalist, lawyer or reverend minister should be content with General Arts and accountants should select the business programme.

Mr. Awuah announced that registration of final year candidates expected to start early next month (August) would close by the end of September, 2005 and advised parents and guardians to get ready to register their children.

He commended the school for its discipline and academic performance, saying the school was on record as the only one at the basic level in Brong-Ahafo to have won the President's Award on three occasions.

Mr. Faris Frimpong, Director of the school, advised parents to make the payment of school fees of their children their topmost priority to avoid the school authorities driving them away for non-payment. July 21 05