The Minister of Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh (Napo), has revealed that the government is in the process of building residential facilities for some of the 200 Community Day Senior High Schools (SHSs) started by former President John Dramani Mahama so they could be transformed into boarding schools.
The minister said that the decision was taken due to the high demand for boarding schools.
For instance, he said only a few students chose day senior high schools in the computer placement system, indicating that the majority of students prefer boarding schools.
Speaking at a press conference to address the challenges and complaints associated with this year’s enrolment process, Dr Opoku Prempeh said on Thursday, 19 September 2019, that: “Government has started a project to put dormitories [in those schools]. I can tell you when you go to Drobonso and a few others, you will see that we have put up dormitories so that the kids can go to those schools because they are fantastically new schools but nobody wants to go there because of where they have been placed”.
He said in cases where the E-blocks have been built in good areas that are “easily accessible”, such schools, like Dome-Kwabenya, are “overflowing” with students.
Another area he said has received a good number of applications is the Paraku School in Kumasi, Kasoa and Frafraha, which are all E-blocks.
Dr Opoku Prempeh said in the case of Kasoa, the MP has even requested “for more classrooms”.
However, he was quick to note that: “When you go to Banka, when you go to Drobonso, when you go to other areas that His Excellency went to stand there and take pictures, the distance between the town to the nearest school is about 10 kilometres, [so], how do the students go to school? We have to think about that and put structures in those schools so that all those schools become available”.
Meanwhile, the minister has announced that over 90 per cent of placements in senior high schools (SHSs) and technical and vocational institutes (TVIs) has been completed.
He said this is the best record since the inception of the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) in 2005.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
