Government Experimenting Unduly With Education; Cause Of Low Performance Among SHS

High school remains the defining moments of one's education. This stage of one's life remains critical in gaining access to higher education and one's Carrier path.

Permit me to remind you of a news item published on 18th February 2019 by Graphic Online and other media outlets with the following heading. "GCB sacks ex-UT, Capital Bank workers for "failing" SSSCE, WASSCE".

This unfortunate incident only tells of how Senior High school life and performance could affect one's life.

A letter from the Ghana Education Service (GES/SED/581/V. 19/87) cites 309 SHSs within the Ashanti, "Brong Ahafo", " Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions as "poor performing" schools.

The development is worrying because a significant majority of Senior schools within the regions are affected hence the need for prompt action to save our schools.

Beyond the assertion that government may have "experimented" unduly with second cycle institutions, with the introduction of double track and the likes, I believe the bigger picture now is to collectively join forces to prevent further deterioration and a complete breakdown of second cycle education in Ghana.

Unfortunately for my constituency, all SHSs within the area were cited, ie St Monica's SHS, St Joseph's Seminary School, Amaniampong SHS and Kofiase Adventist SHS.

As a youth of the land, I only believe that a dispassionate discussion of the situation, coupled with strategic local based interventions stands as the best move to salvaging the situation to restore our schools back on the track of academic excellence.

The way Forward
Local based:
The crisis requires multidisciplinary approach not only for my constituency but also across all affected schools. Suggested groups to the call may include, the Alumni, the Parent Teacher Associations, SRCs, Local NUGS, Civil Society Groups, Youth Clubs and associations.

Central Government
Despite the move by the Education minister towards meeting headteachers of affected schools, I believe that the District/Municipal assemblies within which these schools are located could help not only in the identification of the cause but also in proffering solutions to the problems and ensure effective supervision of their implementation.

I therefore strongly suggest the formation of an all-inclusive fact-finding committee to first identify the cause of the non-performance of the various schools and proffer solutions to same.

I further suggest to GES and the education ministry to call for public support and press the action button to prevent further reduction in standards and performance of our Senior schools.

Education still remains a right✊🏼
Amoakohene Frank
0209013583
Former NUGS President and Aspiring NDC PC for Mampong Constituency

F_Amoakohene
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