Regional News of Wednesday, 26 September 2007

Source: GNA

Appraise performance after public examinations - GES urged

Assin Nsuaem (C/R), Sept 26, GNA - The District Chief Executive for Assin South, Ms Millicent Alice Kuranchie has stressed the importance of school performance appraisal meetings (SPAM) after the release of the results of every public examination.

She said the Ghana Education Service should bring together parents, teachers, school administrators, government officials, chiefs and other opinion leaders to discuss the examination results of schools to ensure the excellent performance of students.

The DCE's suggestion followed the scoring of zero per cent by seven schools in the District in this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which meant that none of the students got between aggregates six and 30 to qualify for Senior High School formerly Senior Secondary School.

Ms Kuranchie who is a teacher by profession expressed concern about how some parents shirked their responsibility for the education of their children to the government. She pointed out that the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme were not introduced to relieve them of their responsibility for the education of their children but only to support them. The DCE said the success of the Education Reform Programme depended on parents, teachers, government and students and appealed to all stakeholders to play their roles effectively.

"Children are our hope for the future and if their career is jeopardised, then the nation is doomed," the DCE said. She called on the West Africa Examinations Council to consider the introduction of re-sit examination for the BECE candidates to improve their results as pertained in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination now West African Senior High School Certificate Examinations (WASHCE).