CHASS urged to exert influence on education matters

Ho, Nov. 06, GNA - Dr George Mawusi Afeti, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA) has urged the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to be more influential in matters of education at all levels.

"I believe that CHASS can play a leading role in articulating policy options and strategies that contribute to addressing the challenges that complicate your job as headmasters and headmistresses."

Dr. Afeti made the call in a keynote address to the 47th annual CHASS in Ho on Wednesday.

It was under the theme; "Senior High School Education in Ghana: The challenges and the way forward".

"CHASS should strive to be seen and recognized as a regular generator and advocate of policy ideas and pragmatic initiatives that promote Senior High School (SHS) education system that is accessible, affordable and of high quality."

Dr Afeti, former Principal of the Ho Polytechnic said the strength and quality of the SHS foundation was crucial to building a reliable human resource superstructure for the country.

"The system performance of senior secondary schools and the quality of their graduates can greatly influence the formation of middle and high level human capital at the tertiary level," he said.

Dr Afeti said using the survival or completion rate from one level of the education ladder to the other as quality measurement to Ghana's SHS education was not good enough.

He said in the last few years only 30 percent of students who entered the SHS were able to successfully complete their studies with only 10 percent making it to the tertiary level.

Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, President of CHASS said for a long time now the SHS had been in "a state of flux to the chagrin of well meaning Ghanaians".

"I feel sometimes that we are not moving fast enough in tandem with modernity," he said.

He therefore called on policy makers and implementers to engage in constant self-examination to rectify the situation.

GNA