Organise SHS entrance exams for JHS final years students instead of BECE – Prof. Adei

A renowned educationist, Professor Stephen Adei has recommended an entrance exams for Junior High School students to qualify them into Senior High Schools.

This recommendation is part of others he has been proposing as possible options government could adopt as part of the roadmap for opening of schools.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on March 15, 2020, directed the closure of schools to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

But concerns on when and how to reopen schools have dominated major discussions in recent times.

The renowned educationist in a Citi News interview suggested that the entrance exams he is proposing for final year JHS students should be limited to two subjects.

“For the JHS, they are not that as significant. Now we basically have basic education school children in wholesale to the secondary level so theirs is not that difficult because we can do a normal common entrance exams on only two subjects. We have done it before and it’s simple,” he said.

Debate on reopening of schools

While teachers from the public schools are asking the government to abort any possible plans of reopening schools, the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has however argued otherwise.

Four Teacher unions; Ghana National Association of Teachers, National Association of Graduate Teachers, Tertiary Education Workers’ Union and Coalition of Concerned Teachers have registered their opposition to the intended reopening.

The Parents Teacher Association and School Management Committees had also advised the government against the reopening of schools because it will put the lives of teachers and students in danger.

Schools won’t reopen now, consultations ongoing – Oppong Nkrumah

Meanwhile, the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has debunked claims that the government intends to reopen schools soon regardless of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

According to him, a number of stakeholder consultations are being held in that regard. He wants stakeholder groups and parents to channel their energies finding possible ways of resolving the COVID-19 challenges.

“We noticed that there are a lot of stakeholder groups and parents and unions that appear apprehensive since those reports [schools reopening soon] came out. It is okay to be apprehensive, Indeed if we were not apprehensive then we would not be sensitive to challenges of the times. It is okay to have worries, it is okay to wonder how this will be done but we must channel those apprehensions and those worries towards answering the question; what does it take? what should be the indication of a good time? What will be the best way to protect teachers, non-teachers, students if we are to open-up at some point?” Oppong Nkrumah said.

source: Citi Newsroom