The Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (CHBS) has implored the government and stakeholders in the education sector to review the cut-off point to second-cycle schools to aggregate 36.
According to CHBS, this would ensure discipline and seriousness in students at the Junior High School (JHS) who do not take their studies seriously because they have guaranteed admission to the senior high school irrespective of their performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Addressing the press, the Volta Regional Chairman of CHBS, Vincent Gordor said pegging the cut-off point at aggregate 36 should form part of a comprehensive review of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy introduced by the Akufo-Addo-led-government in 2017.
“Currently, students who complete JHS with very poor grades still gain admission to SHS without effort to improve their performance.
“We propose that a cut-off point (aggregate 36) should be institutionalized for entry into the Senior High School. This will encourage seriousness in learning at the JHS levels”, he said.
He also said that the delayed payment of the insufficient capitation grant is another challenge that must be addressed head-on, as the phenomenon has made school management difficult.
He said the schools depend on the grant to purchase learning and teaching materials, conduct curricula and extracurricular activities, and maintain infrastructure in the school communities.
“The persistent delay and inadequacy of these funds have left many schools struggling to function effectively. We urge the government to ensure timely and adequate disbursement of capitation grants so that schools can run smoothly”, he said.
He further lamented the inadequacy of furniture in public schools across the country, compelling learners to sit and study in unconducive postures, such as seating on bare floors, and broken desks among others.
Mr Gordon said this development has taken a heavy toll on the smooth running of academic activities, thereby affecting the performance of learners.
“This situation is not conducive to learning and must be addressed immediately. We call on the government, corporate organizations, and philanthropic individuals to come to our aid and provide the necessary furniture for our schools”, he added.
He also raised concerns about the poor implementation and effectiveness of the Standards-Based Curriculum and Common Core Programme due to insufficient textbooks in the various basic schools.
He lamented that since the introduction of the Standards-based Curriculum and Common Core Programmes for five and four years respectively, textbooks for critical subjects are still unavailable.
“Kindergarten has no workbook at all. Lower Primary and Upper Primary have only four subjects ie English Language, Mathematics, Science, English Language, and Creative Arts.
“The Junior High School has textbooks for only Basic 7 and Basic 8 i.e. English Language, Science Mathematics, and Creative Arts and Design.
“Final-year students in Basic 9 however do not have any textbooks at all. This is a major setback in the implementation of the curriculum and negatively impacts learning outcomes”, he stressed.
Mr Gordor also highlighted a significant rise in indiscipline in schools, indicating that the unfortunate development is gradually becoming a national canker, “with hooliganism, vandalism, bullying, and general misconduct becoming rampant.”
He asserted that the acts and behaviours of some students these days do not depict that of people who grow to become people of substance and play significant roles in the development of the country.
He, therefore, implored the Education Ministry to lead the formation of guidance and counselling units in all schools while urging parents to instil moral values in their children.
“It is time to rise to the occasion and tackle indiscipline holistically before it completely erodes the moral fabric of our society”, he called on stakeholders.
He also advocated for the absorption of utility bills of public basic schools, as footing these bills is straining the limited funds available to finance the administration and activities of the various schools.
He appealed to the government “to either fully absorb these costs or provide subsidies to ease the financial burden on school administrators.”
Mr Gordor also noted that the National Standardised Test (NST) program is being implemented poorly as no proper preparations are done before the test is conducted “at the last minute”.
He also echoed the delay in paying supervisors their allowances, with some of them waiting for almost a year without receiving their allowances, while the results of the tests are never sent to the participating schools.
“Results are not sent to schools to help identify students’ weaknesses and improve learning outcomes. We call on the Ministry of Education and GES to ensure that the NST is properly budgeted for and effectively implemented”, Mr Gordor explained.
The delayed in releasing BECE results by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) was also a worry to Mr. Gordor and his colleagues who identified the development as becoming a norm and must be addressed.
“As we speak, the 2024 BECE results have not yet been released, even though another batch of students are preparing for the next examination.
“This delay prevents schools from analyzing performance trends and implementing corrective measures. WAEC must sit up and improve efficiency in releasing BECE results on time”, he said.
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