SHS placement: Parents commend Education Minister, ask for reporting date extension
Some parents and stakeholders in the country’s educational sector have lauded the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for the peaceful and event-free school placement exercise this year.
While commending the Minister for the smooth exercise, they have, however, appealed for an extension in the reopening date for fresh students of senior high schools (SHSs).
Following the successful placement of BECE 20221 candidates by the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), all successful SHS One students are expected to report to their respective SHSs or technical and vocational education and training (TVET) schools today, Monday, April 4, 2022, to begin their academic year.
However, some parents are appealing for the rescheduling of the opening date to enable them to complete the process of enrolment.
“I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to consider extending the time for reopening for SHS One students. This year, the placement system was smooth, but the reporting date is too close. We had hoped we would have about four weeks to prepare, but we are required to report today.
“Although it is free SHS and our children will report without having to pay any fees, there are still some things we need to get for them, and that is why we are asking for a consideration of the reporting date,” some parents who spoke with the Daily Graphic said in interviews.
Unlike previous exercises which saw parents and guardians and their children and wards frustrated over various challenges, this year’s exercise has passed without many incidents, much to the relief of parents.
According to them, apart from the placement exercise being peaceful and event-free, they were also particularly happy that they did not waste much time at the various resolution centres across the country, as the staff there worked hard to ensure that parents and guardians did not spend too much time at the centres.“This year, there was so much improvement in the placement process. I think that is what we all expect — that each year there will be improvement in the process. I commend the Minister of Education for supervising this,” a parent said.With the objective of making the exercise more efficient, convenient and seamless for students and parents, the Ministry of Education, through the Free Senior High School (SHS) Secretariat, put in place some measures.
Among the interventions were the change in the time of school selection from before the BECE to after the examination and the establishment of call centres to receive complaints from parents with challenges after the placement.
That seems to have helped to reduce the incidence of concerned parents and students converging on the Black Star Square, where the Free SHS Secretariat set up to attend to the immediate past CSSPS exercise.
Source:3news
