Free SHS Policy records 83.9% enrolment – Minister

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Education, has said 358,205 students have been enrolled under the Free Senior High School Policy as of November this year, representing 83.9 per cent, an improvement of 75 per cent from that of 2016.

He said about 38,000 students were still not in school for reasons being that some students printed their placement sheet but could not attend school, some decided to attend private schools, others travelled outside the country while some wanted to improve their results next year.

Dr Prempeh said West African Examination Council released 455,951 candidates to the Computerised School Placement Secretariat including 36 foreign students.

He said out of the figure, 427,424 qualified for placement, while 396, 706 had printed out their placement sheets.

Dr Prempeh, who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, said this at the Meet-the-Press Series in Accra to address concerns raised by the public regarding the implementation the Free SHS Policy and other education related issues.

In addition, he said, some parents deferred their wards’ admission in order to help them on their farms, while others could not provide chop boxes for their wards to attend school.    

Commenting on government’s plans to improve on infrastructure, the Minister said government had earmarked over 8000 schools in deplorable condition for renovation and estimated to spend $300 million for the exercise.

He said to meet the Government’s employable skills, it would construct 42 model SHSs, 20 modern technical and vocational schools and upgrade 15 technical institutions, 35 NVTIs, and nine colleges of education into technical colleges of education.

Source: GNA