WASSCE Students Riot Could Have Been Avoided If Free SHS Was Properly Implemented — RaR Express

Research And Rebuild International (RaR) has expressed worry over the implementation of the free Senior High School education by the government while indicating that the recent student rioting could have been avoided if the program was rolled out properly.

The flagship program of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was rolled out in 2017 and is seeing its first batch of students writing their final year exams this month.

Unfortunately, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has been marred with student violence in some schools by some students who say the exams are too difficult.

Research And Rebuild International condemns the student violence, indicating that it could have been avoided if the government had taken advice from other stakeholders into consideration before the implementation of the free SHS program.

“RaR noted, this condemnable behavior and acts of indiscipline that has characterized the ongoing WASSCE exams on the part of the students involved, could have been avoided if authorities had taken professional advice and good counsel offered by experts and well-meaning Ghanaians into consideration in the implementation of the laudable program”, a statement from the organization dated August 10 has said.

To avoid future student violence, RaR is calling on the government and the Ghana Education Service to immediately carry out a survey of students’ behaviors across the country within the scope of the understanding of the free SHS program that they are supposed to benefit from.

They believe the survey will go a long way in curbing future disturbances and unwarranted situations usually coming from students’ front.

RaR also insists that there must be total re-orientation for all SHS students across the country the think-tank observed.

“It is also the hope of the RaR that government will buy into some of the suggestions it has made in the past for the attainment of a continued success of the program”, the statement from the group adds.

Read the full press statement below: