Stakeholders disappointed at lack of consensus at SHS forum.

Tema, June 2, GNA - Some stakeholders of education in the Tema

Metropolis, have expressed disappointment at the inability of participants to

reach a consensus, during the forum on the duration of Senior High School

(SHS) education. The two-day forum, which was initiated by the Ministry of Education on:

"Reaching a national consensus on the duration of the SHS programme for

affordable quality education in Ghana" ended in a deadlock. The Public Relations Officer of the Progressive Teachers' Association

(PTA), Mr Daniel Obodai, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on

Monday that, it was unfortunate that the forum was unable to achieve its aim. Mr Obodai called on stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the problems

facing the educational sector, adding that, problems that have already been

raised over the years must be solved instead of engaging in series of talks that

would not be implemented. He indicated that the Association supported the National Association of

Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT)'s stance for the three years SHS duration, as according to him, the four-year programme would not work with the current educational infrastructure. He noted that the schools lacked the necessary infrastructure and logistics like classrooms, textbooks, furniture and other learning materials to support the execution of the extension of the SHS duration. Mr Obodai said even though the teachers would be the implementers of any

educational policy, there is lack of teacher motivation in the country despite

several complains from them. The Headmaster of Datus SHS, Mr Victor Akude on his part, pleaded with

politicians to desist from formulating policies that would create structural

problems in the educational sector. Mr Akude said politicians could make amendments to educational policies rather than changing the whole system, citing the four-year SHS educational policy as a structural problem to the educational sector of the country.

"Developing countries don't change policies based on political

interest, they do it in the national interest", he stated, noting that it was

unfortunate that politicians in Ghana preferred to toy with the future of students,

as every government attempts to change something in the educational sector. The headmaster also reiterated the need to improve the educational

infrastructure in the schools and motivate teachers as a first step in ensuring that

students perform better in examinations. Questioning the need for the four-year programme, Mr Akude asked

whether students are not making the aggregate 24 pass mark required for

university admission. He added that it was obvious that more students are excelling in the

examination than the public tertiary institutions could absorb, indicating that "the

problem is not with the duration but rather the lack of infrastructure." Mr Akude suggested that co-curricular activities which used to be

extra-curricula activities should be conducted outside school contact hours to

enable the teachers complete the syllabi as expected. He further asked the education ministry to look at the calibre of

students admitted to the Teacher Training Colleges to ensure that people with

the professional calling enter into the field for efficiency in the sector. Some students who were in favour of the four-years told the GNA

that it would afford them another year to learn, as the first year was wasted as

they were only taught core subjects leaving little time to study their elective subjects. Master Reagan Okorhi and Miss Mary George, Form Two students, and a South African and Nigerian respectively, who said the four years would enable them finish their syllabi, asked whether its implementation meant no candidates from Ghana would sit the 2010 West African Senior Secondary

Certificate Examination. They said they were prepared to go back to their countries to register

and sit the examination instead of waiting for another year should the four years

be implemented. Ms Adelaide Aboagye Wilson and Ms Esther Owusu also form two students of Datus, who were in favour of the three years argued that the four years would impose unnecessary hardship on parents as some parents are currently finding it difficult to pay the school fees for their children as well as meet other school obligations. 2