Publication of SSCE results is a moral booster- Baah-Wiredu

Tamale, Feb. March 2, GNA- Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports has stated that the publication of the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSSCE) results in the dailies is a moral booster and a guide for all schools to re-examine their academic performance.

He said this in a speech read for him at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Tamale Business Secondary School in Tamale on Saturday.

The anniversary had the theme: "Quality Business Education in Contemporary Ghana".

Mr Baah-Wiredu tasked academic boards of Senior Secondary Schools in the country to sit up and fashion out very effective strategies to ensure improvement of students in future examinations.

The Minister noted that the general low performance of students could not be attributed to poor infrastructure alone but also to indiscipline in schools.

He pointed out that many students in secondary schools especially the boys had developed casual attitude towards studies.

"For instance when schools re-open students do not report in the first week of the term and when they do, they spend more time planning for entertainment than their studies.

"Also there are reports of high incidence of absenteeism among teachers some of who refuse to give class exercises or mark examination papers", he said.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said: "These same teachers who refuse to honour their official obligations turn round to organise private classes for a fee", adding, "it is even rumoured that sometimes they do not teach topics covered in those private classes during normal school lessons".

The Minister advised heads of schools to ensure that pamphlets sent to the schools for sale are scrupulously examined before recommending them to their students.

He warned school authorities not to force pamphlets on students, saying, "On no account whatsoever must the payment of pamphlets appear on school bills".

Mr Justin B. Dakorah, Headmaster of BISCO complained of acute water problem and inadequate infrastructure, including classroom and teachers' accommodation, which had compelled most of the teachers to commute between Tamale Municipality and the school campus daily.

He therefore called on the government to provide the school with a water tanker and improve the infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning.

The school, which was established in 1963 with an initial student population of 12, now has 1,447 students made up of 944 boys and 503 girls.