In a recent interview on A1 Radio, educationist Nii Armah Ardey voiced several critical concerns regarding the proposed new Senior High School bill.
This conversation followed a proposed bill by the Ministry of Education. According to the Minister of Education, the bill would propose the decoupling of junior high school (JHS) from basic school and make it part of secondary school, thereby creating six years of secondary education.
The minister said another proposal of the bill was the cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as a precondition for gaining admission to the secondary level, but rather it would be used for school selection purposes. The Minister also said any government which does not find merit in the implementation could cancel it.
Mr. Ardey raised concerns about the clarity and coherence of the educational pathway of decoupling Junior High School (JHS) from basic school and making it part of secondary school. He pointed out significant confusion within the sector, stressing the necessity for clear guidelines to facilitate smooth transitions and ensure educational continuity.
“Their posture or the way they’re putting the thing; the progression from basic school to secondary school is even not clear,” he said.
“They are completely confused. Either they don’t understand the English properly or they don’t know what they are doing.”
Moreover, he questioned the criteria for student selection under the new bill, emphasizing the importance of transparency and fairness in the process.
The educationist further stated that no government will cancel free SHS because no citizen condemns the Free SHS. “No Government, absolutely no government henceforth would change or cancel free SHS. No government will cancel free SHS. So the delusion that they have to put it into legislation so that any government who comes subsequently will not cancel it is false,” he said.
Mr. Ardey also expressed worries over how to accommodate these students when secondary education becomes a six-year system.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
