The General Manager of DEKS Educational Institute at Tema in
the Greater Accra Region, Mark Dei has urged the government to include private
Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the implementation of the free SHS
programme.
He said the private sector have capacity to complement their
counterparts in the public schools in implementing the policy and urged
government to include private schools in the Computerized School Selection and
Placement system (CSSPS) to help address some of the challenges association
with the policy such as frequently overcrowded schools and classrooms in public
schools
Mr Dei was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic
at Tema on the sidelines of a street float organised by staff and students of
DEKS Educational Institute as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the
school.
Clad in DEKS@50 paraphernalia, the staff and students went
on a procession along some principal streets in Tema and Ashaiman to interact
with the public. The theme for the celebration was; “Half a century of
education success, proud past, and a promising future.”
Mr Dei said the private schools had the facilities and
capacity to provide sound education for the students, noting that some parents
had shown high interest in private schools over the last few years.
Imbalance
He indicated that though private schools have been applauded
in the past for improving academic achievement; they were facing a number of
challenges due to some of the policies that exist in the education sector.
“We seem to be branded in a negative light as being
exploiters and because of that we are suffering and a lot of the private
schools have had to close down their Private SHS because they are not being
given a fair ground to operate.” He said.
He said unfortunately the imbalance has been extended to the
pre Junior High School level where as part of government Free SHS policy, 30
percent of places in Category A’ Senior High Schools have been reserved for
students from public basic schools who have performed creditably at the BECE.
Mr Dei expressed displeasure over a decision adding that the
situation that this has led to a worrying trend where the moment learners in
private schools gets to class six, parents were in a rush to move them to the
public schools because they want them to get placement in SHS regardless of
what aggregate score they get.
He expressed concern at the dwindling numbers of student
population in private schools and appealed to the government to add private
schools to the list of schools to partner their counterparts in the public schools
to help make the free SHS better.
via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-include-private-schools-in-free-shs-programme.html
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