Education Minister briefs Parliament on controversial first-Year SHS reopening date

The December 4 reopening date for first-year Senior High School (SHS) students is feasible and well-planned, according to the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum.

He told Parliament that the public was informed of the date more than a month before the placement lists were released, giving parents enough time to prepare for their children’s departure.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, last Thursday raised doubts about the date and suggested postponing it to January.

The Minority backed the Speaker’s proposal, citing economic hardships as a challenge for parents and the risks posed by flooding in certain regions of the country.

However, Dr. Adutwum maintained that the date was reasonable and better than the previous academic year when students had only five days to get ready.

He also said that measures were taken to reduce the burden on parents and ensure a smooth reopening.

“81% of students were placed automatically, while only 19% had to do self-placement. Additionally, a standardized prospectus was developed and published in mid-November to help parents plan ahead of time,” he said.

The Education Minister averred that since the introduction of the double-track system in 2018, there has been a significant increase in the hiring of both teaching and non-teaching staff to deal with the overcrowding in the schools.

He dismissed claims that teachers and staff of SHSs have no break, saying, “It is not true that all teachers have never had any rest.”

Minority leader Cassiel Ato Forson rejected claims of politicizing the issue, stressing the need for solutions to parental concerns. He pointed out the significant financial burden on parents due to the high cost of items on the prospectus.

He appealed to the Minister to extend the time for the public, especially those whose children are going to their alma maters to be able to prepare enough to ensure their wards get access to the schools of their choice.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed concerns about Parliament’s intervention in challenging the Ghana Education Service (GES) on the reopening date.

He noted that the House had passed Act 506, which gave the GES the responsibility of setting the dates for reopening and vacations.

He wondered whether Parliament should challenge the GES when it issues a circular in the discharge of these responsibilities.

He proposed that Parliament should establish a system to engage with the GES through the Education Committee in the future to ensure that the House is not caught off guard on such matters.

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