MoE approves private schools to write Standardised Test

Private schools across the country have been approved to write Standardised Test to be conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) this year, the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum told journalists.

The approval comes after the Executive Director of Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah raised concerns over private schools’ exemption from the maiden edition of the national examination.

BUY 2023 WASSCE RESULTS CHECKER HERE

In an interview monitored by AcademicWeek, the National Director of GNACOPS said private schools’ exclusion from the standardised test may be a calculated attempt by the central government to close down private schools.

“We don’t seem to understand the intentions of the government, whether it is intended to close down private schools in the country and if that is the intention then the country education is sitting on a time bomb,” Gyetuah told TV3.

Obengfo Gyetuah told the Accra-based television station over 2 million students from various private schools across the country were excluded from the national assessment test administered by the West African Exams Council in 2021.

But, Yaw Adutwum in charge of Education at a press briefing told journalists all basic schools including private primary schools will partake in the forthcoming National Standardised Test scheduled for the end of this academic year.

Aimed at improving learning outcomes and reducing learning poverty, the Bosomtwe Member of Parliament said primary two and four basic school students will sit for the non-profit-making organization (WAEC) examination.

In a related development, Ghana Education Service (GES) has proposed November 1 to 30, 2022, and December 12 to 16, 2022 as the dates for primary 2 and four students to sit for the 2022 edition of the national standardised test (NST).

A staff of the Education Service speaking to an Editorial Staff of AcademicWeek said the above dates are tentative adding that his outfit at the appropriate time will communicate the official date to conduct the test to students.

“As earlier indicated by the management, the recent dates for the administration of the 2022 standardised exams for primary 2 and four students are proposed dates. The original dates will be communicated later,” the GES official stated.

The impending primary two and four basic school students’ national examinations he said will be conducted in schools close to the end of the academic year by a team of trained Test administrators and monitors.