Minister of Education Addresses SHS Reporting Date Controversy in Parliament Today
Minister of Education Addresses SHS Reporting Date Controversy in Parliament Today
In a pivotal session today, December 4th, 2023, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, appeared before the august House of Parliament to provide clarification and address concerns surrounding the reporting date for Senior High School (SHS) students. The controversy emerged after the Ghana Education Service (GES) released placement details, indicating that students were to commence reporting on December 4th, 2023, with a break scheduled from December 21st to January 2nd.
GES Press Release Today; REPORTING DATE FOR SHS 1 STUDENTS
This decision, however, raised eyebrows among parents and teacher unions, prompting Parliament to intervene. The legislative body directed the Minister of Education to appear before them to shed light on the matter and ordered a temporary halt to the commencement of school until the issue was discussed.
Despite Parliament’s concern, the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Education Service, in a press release, reaffirmed its decision to proceed with the original reporting date.
This further intensified the debate, leading to the appearance of the Minister in Parliament today.
Minister’s Response
In response to the inquiries, Minister Adutwum emphasized that the 2023/2024 Academic Calendar had been drafted and published a month ago, The Academic Calendar for SHS 2023/2024, also the MOE/GES Released and Published earlier a harmonized prospectus New GES National Prospectus for All SHS/TVET 2023/2024 November December following extensive consultations with stakeholders and teacher unions.
He highlighted that last year, students had only five days’ notice before reporting to school, whereas this year, there is a six-day interval.
Self Placement
The Minister addressed concerns about the self-placement process, revealing that only 19% of students were required to undertake self-placement this year, compared to 30% in the previous academic year. Furthermore, he clarified that the Ministry, in collaboration with the GES, had proactively published a harmonized prospectus for parents ahead of the release of school placements.
How to do self-placement online using the CSSPS Portal
No Vacation for Teachers
Responding to allegations that teachers were denied vacation, Minister Adutwum refuted such claims, asserting that more teachers had been employed, and school heads were instructed to allocate classes based on tracks. This approach ensured that teachers had designated vacation periods, contrary to the belief that they were consistently engaged without breaks.
Start PLC Handbook 2 Intro to SHS/SHTS/STEM on December 4; No Vacation for Teachers GES
Dissatisfaction
Despite the Ministry’s position, Members of Parliament expressed dissatisfaction, particularly Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who voiced concerns and warned of potential summons to the privileges committee for punitive actions against the Minister and the Ministry.
Other members highlighted the hardships faced by Ghanaians, including difficulties in purchasing items from the prospectus and transporting their children to school on December 4th and Going Back for them on December 21st.
The Minority Leader, Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, emphasized that the Minister should allow parents more time to prepare, suggesting a reporting date of January 2nd, as a significant percentage of parliamentarians can afford the items on the harmonized prospectus, while many parents need additional time to get ready,
Support
While some members expressed reservations, others endorsed the Minister’s initiative to realign Ghana’s education calendar with pre-COVID standards, aiming to harmonize the country’s schedule with other West African nations for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams.
Additionally, the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, proposed that, starting from the next academic year, the ministry should establish a specific timeframe, preferably a minimum of 10 days after releasing placements, within which students must report to school.
Speaker of parliament
Speaker of Parliament Backs Teacher Unions to Change Reporting Date of SHS 1 From Dec 4
Honorable Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, acknowledged the stakeholders’ meeting, emphasizing that despite the initial consensus, concerns were subsequently raised by those very stakeholders. Consequently, Parliament took the decision to summon the Minister to address the issues at hand.
The directive was issued for the Minister of Education to appear before Parliament at 12:30 on December 4th, 2023, a summons that was duly honored.
Rather than issuing a directive, the Speaker proposed to the Minister the reconsideration of the reporting date.
However, Parliament has opted to maintain the initially set date by the Ministry of Education, considering that, as of today, over 92% of students have been placed and have already commenced their academic activities.
The Speaker emphasized the importance of providing students with sufficient flexibility to complete their reporting process.
Furthermore, the Speaker articulated the necessity of allowing students additional time and proposed specific days between the placement of students and their reporting dates. Various pertinent issues were discussed during the session, and the Minister was thanked for his cooperation in addressing these matters.
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