Apam, Oct 1, GNA - The Gomoa District Education Oversight Committee (DEOC) has directed the District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service to ensure that students were promoted on merit.

Ms Joyce Mildred Aidoo, District Chief Executive and Chairperson of the DEOC who made this known said wholesale promotion had been identified as one of the major reasons for the falling standard of education in the area.

"Students don't learn because they know they will be promoted to the next class whether they pass or not," she said.

Ms Aidoo was speaking to the GNA on measures to avert the scoring of zero per cent by Junior High Schools (JHC) in future Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) in the District. "Last year 15 schools scored zero per cent and this year 12 schools had none of their students getting between aggregates six and 30 to qualify for Senior High Schools," she said and stated that "Three of the schools scored zero per cent for about the third consecutive time".

Ms Aidoo said following a series of the meetings with chiefs, school heads, teachers and parents after the release of this year's BECE, "The DEOC has taken some far reaching decisions," she said. They included the zoning of the District into 12 circuits with a DEOC members attached to each of them to ensure effective supervision. She said School Heads were to be appointed after "rigid interviews" to ensure their capability of managing schools.

Mrs Beatrice Lokko, District Director of Education, attributed the poor results to the weak foundation of the children's education during the primary level.

She said competitive promotion examinations would now be conducted for primary class six pupils for JHS and stated that JHS Three students would not gain automatic promotion to the next class to sit for examination for entry into Senior High Schools (SHS). Mrs Lokko noted that out of the 12 schools, which scored zero per cent, five were from the Buduburam Liberian refugee camp and said proprietors of private schools there had been warned to abide by GES regulations if they wanted their students to write the BECE. Mrs Lokko said 51 students from the camp failed to write the examination even though they had been registered.

Last year Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) a non-governmental organisation concerned with delivery of quality education conducted a research into factors, which culminated in schools scoring zero per cent in the District. She said the result of the research was discussed at a meeting of stakeholders in education including chiefs, assembly members, education officers and teachers to find solutions to the problems identified. The District Director noted that three of the schools scored zero per cent again after various interventions had been put in place. 1 Oct 07