School authorities worried over new education policy

Interviews conducted with head teachers and principals of secondary schools in the Western Area revealed mass dissatisfaction over recent decision taken by the government with regards the country’s education system.

These school authorities, who preferred anonymity, argued that the government in its wisdom decided to abolish ceremonial uniforms in schools but countries like Nigeria and Kenya where the 6334 system of education is a success, encourage ceremonial uniforms in their school systems.

According to the school authorities, the government failed to explain the reason for the banning of ceremonial uniforms.

The authorities are also worried over the single shift system. Do the schools have the capacity to maintain the single shift system, they ask?

What happens to the principals or head teachers of the afternoon or morning shift schools? What becomes of their positions?

However, the authorities commended the government for its intention to regulate all private schools if only to ensure that these private schools charge affordable rates as opposed the present exorbitant charges they impose on parents.

They further pointed out that as a result of the gross disparity in school charges most qualified teachers had vanished from the majority of government schools for private schools because of the conditions of service were more attractive than government schools.

Comments on Recommendation 13A of the government white paper on the report of the commission of inquiry into the poor performance of pupils in the 2008 BECE and WASSC examinations was also viewed as a golden idea but advised the government not to politicise that aspect of the recommendation as any attempt to politicize the recommendation will make the education system worse than it is now.

In a nutshell, recommendations A1, A3, A6, A7, A9, among others, are viewed by these educationists as steps in the right direction but they insist however that principals and headmasters be consulted in any future decisions.

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