The Ministry of Education has directed heads of senior high schools (SHSs), technical and vocational institutes to expedite action in the processing of admission letters for newly placed Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates, so that the students can report to school on Monday.
“At this point, what we are encouraging headmasters to do is that they should make sure their schools are open today, Saturday and Sunday for parents to go through the registration process,” the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, told journalists at a press conference in Accra on Thursday.
The press conference was to create the platform for the ministry to update the public on the progress so far made in respect of the placement of the qualified BECE candidates into SHS.
About 267,327 out of the 424,092 candidates who qualified for SHS secured placement in schools of their choice, while 150,770 candidates could not be placed in the schools of their choice and have been directed to do self-placement.
Most parents could not go through the registration process for their children because they claimed they were told that headmasters were attending a conference in Ho.
Dr Adutwum said all heads of institutions had been advised to put in place all the necessary structures to ensure that first-year students reported to school on Monday, September 11, 2017.
Out of the 427,000, who qualified to be placed under the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), he said, 310,000 had so far printed out their admission letters from the portal and were ready for registration in the schools where they had been placed.
He said out of the 150,770 candidates who were directed to do self-placement, 110,000, representing 70 per cent, had so far been
successful and expressed the hope that by the end of today all the candidates would have done the self-placement and printed their admission letters.
Dr Adutwum explained that the candidates were required to keep copies of the admission forms, while the schools collected “some critical information about parents’ contacts”.
He said from the registration, the ministry would be able to know how many students registered to begin the free SHS education.
He commended all parents who were keen on getting their children admitted to SHS to enjoy free SHS education, saying: “When I see the number of parents here, it gives me hope for the country that parents are interested in the education of their children.”
He said the ministry appreciated the efforts of parents and that it was working with them to give children the schools that they desired.
Dr Adutwum said all candidates who took part in the 2016 resit were included in the 2017/18 placement exercise, stressing that all those who re-sat or re-entered would also benefit from the free SHS policy.
The ministry had set up a help desk to assist parents with genuine concerns, he said, adding: “We are talking to them; we have set up tables for them; we are parent-friendly because we do not want anybody to be denied this free SHS policy.”
Source: Graphic.com.gh