Basic schools are expected to start their third term examination on Monday July 15, but it’s not clear if pupils in the public schools in the Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region will also have their examination.
In the month of July, the Ghana Education Service directed all heads of basic schools in the country to use price quotations for the printing of the end of academic year examinations papers for pupils and the total amount should be taken from their school’s Capitation Grant.
Some heads in the Bolgatanga Municipality did not see the directive as feasible, saying it was a serious challenge to them and their teachers.
Though many declined to speak on tape, almost all who spoke with A1radioonline.com said the GHc3.50 that the Ghana Education Service has allocated for each pupil is not enough for printing examination papers.
They also argued that the Capitation Grant that the directive is asking them to use, is not yet available for some schools and fear that, it may not come even on Monday, 15th July when the examination is expected start.
A basic school teacher, name withheld, explained to A1radioonline.com that he and his colleague teachers are not enthused about the directive by the Ghana Education service.
“…as I speak with you, many schools have not received their Capitation Grant. Let us take Junior High School students for instance, they are supposed to start answering their examination questions like that of the Basic Education Certificate Examination, but how can GHc3.50 do.” He asked.
He added that though the policy is good, it came at a very short notice and so close to the examination date.
“Very good policy but as it is, not all schools can follow such a directive. Even some schools have already taken printing fees from their pupils and had finished printing the exams questions.” He added.
Responding to the plight of the teachers, Abdullah Latif Alhassan, Secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in the Bolgatanga Municipality, said many teachers came to his office seeking clarifications, but they were also skeptical of the directive.
According to him on the morning of Thursday July 11, there was a new directive by the Ghana Education Service saying that, basic school heads should submit all the examination questions to various district education offices for printing.
“Now, the whole thing is confusing, but all that I can say is, on the 15th of July if there is no tangible information regarding printing of the examination questions, then teachers have no choice than to write the questions on the board.” Mr. Alhassan said.
He also explained that the GHc3.50 that the teachers are complaining of as not being enough for printing examination questions is true, and hope that all schools will get their capitation grants hitting their accounts.
Source: A1radioonline.com | Moses Apiah | Ghana
