SHS education to be extended from 3 to 6 yrs – Adutwum
Minister in charge of Education and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe Constituency, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum says the current (Senior High School) SHS education which is 3 years in due course will be expanded to a maximum of 6 years.
Speaking at the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) he said his outfit at the appropriate time would seek approval from Parliament to extend the second cycle education.
“This will be done by amending the Pre-Tertiary Education Act which stipulates that Junior High School forms part of basic education in Ghana. The expansion will ensure that students are well-equipped and prepared, “Adutwum stated.
The 60th Anniversary of the Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools conference was themed “60 years of shaping second cycle education in Ghana, the challenges and successes in the contemporary time-the role of stakeholders.”
In other news, the Minister for Education has denied allegations that the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and Basic Education Certificate Examination conducted by WAEC will be replaced with new examinations.
In an exclusive interview monitored by AcademicWeek, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum said the Ministry of Education (MoE) has no plans to replace the BECE and WASSCE for School examinations with a diploma certificate or whatever.
Asked if when the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations are replaced students can apply for schools abroad with the new certificate, the Minister said the government has no such plans to introduce new examinations.
His comment comes after a document classified as new education reforms indicated the Basic Education Certificate (BECE) conducted for final year Junior High School (JHS) students will be replaced with a placement examination.
It also indicated final year Senior High School (SHSs) students in due course soon will sit for a university entrance examination instead of the international WASSCE for School administered by the West African Exams Council (WAEC).
According to the document, prospective Senior High School (SHS) students after the university test will be given a diploma certificate rather than the usual West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) certificate.
All we want is the best education system for ourselves and the next generations to come. But they should reform it once and for all.