By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Feb. 14, GNA – The Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) has called for a review of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, proposing that only students who obtain a minimum aggregate of 36 in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) should qualify for the programme.
Speaking at a press conference in Ho, Mr Vincent Stephen Gordor, Volta Regional Chairman of COHBS, emphasised that students who do not meet the aggregate 36 requirement should be given the opportunity to resist and improve their grades before benefitting from Free SHS.
According to COHBS, the current Free SHS system allows all BECE graduates, regardless of their performance, to transition to senior high school. This, they argue, has reduced the seriousness students attach to learning, as there is no academic requirement for entry into SHS.
“While we applaud the government for the Free SHS policy, which has provided access to education for thousands of students, it is important to review its implementation. We believe there should be a cut-off point, at least an aggregate of 36, to encourage students to take their studies seriously,” Mr Gordor stated.
He explained that this move would motivate learners to put in more effort and help filter out students who need further academic preparation before advancing to SHS.
COHBS also highlighted the financial burden of utility bills in public basic schools.
They noted that the cost of electricity and water in these schools is overwhelmingly high, making it difficult for school administrators to effectively manage their institutions.
“The cost of running public basic schools is already challenging. “We are pleading with the government to either fully absorb utility bills or provide a subsidy to ease the financial burden on school administration,” Mr. Gordor appealed.
COHBS further raised concerns about the poor implementation of the National Standardized Test (NST), which is meant to assess students’ competencies at various levels.
They pointed out several issues, including Last-minute organization of the test due to poor planning, delayed payments for supervisors, with some waiting a year for their stipends, lack of feedback as results are not sent to schools, preventing educators from identifying students’ weaknesses and improving learning outcomes
“We call on the Ministry of Education and GES to ensure that the NST is properly budgeted for and efficiently implemented so that it can serve its intended purpose,” Mr. Gordor stressed.
Another critical issue raised was the persistent delays in the release of BECE results by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Mr Gordor lamented that, as of now, the 2024 BECE results are yet to be released, even though another batch of students is already preparing for the next examination.
“This delay prevents schools from analyzing performance trends and implementing corrective measures. WAEC must improve efficiency in releasing BECE results on time to help schools plan effectively,” he said.
COHBS emphasised that these challenges are not new, and previous calls for intervention have gone unheeded. They urged the Ministry of Education, GES, and WAEC to take immediate steps to address these issues and ensure a more efficient and effective education system.
GNA