The Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Western North Region has clarified that 2,569 fresh Senior High School students are yet to report to school despite gaining admission and not 137,000 as earlier announced by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in the region.
The Education Directorate said although 14,558 candidates were expected to be enrolled in schools in the Western North Region, 11,989 students, representing 82 percent, have currently picked up their admission slots in the area.
The Public Relations Officer of the GES in the Western North Region, Daniel Armah Ofori, told Citi News that measures are being taken to ensure admission targets are met.
“The current enrolment is 11,989 students, which is about 82 percent and so our remaining target to meet is 2,569 students. Although significant progress has been made with the enrolment rate, there is still work to be done to meet our set target.”
He added that the directorate has deployed circuit supervisors to create awareness about the need for parents to enrol their wards in schools.
“Since we have about 3 percent to meet our target, we are ready to deploy our circuit supervisors to be on the ground to help parents and their wards understand the importance of education and so most parents are now convinced to bring their wards to school.”
The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools in the Western North Region, Nana Amo Amankwah, had earlier urged persons yet to pick up their admission slots due to financial challenges to still come.
“A good number of the schools have mattresses, so we just want them to come. They should not think about the items on the prospectus so long as they can get a towel and sponge; they should come. They don’t have to get everything on the prospectus before they come.”
A study conducted by Africa Education Watch, an educational civil society organization, has revealed that expenses on prospectuses and other items by parents outweigh the costs incurred by the government under the Free Senior High School program.
The education think tank stated that parents spent GH¢2,477 on prospectuses for their wards in boarding schools and an additional GH¢4,000 on other personal items, including 60% on provisions, 10% on transportation, 10% on books, 10% on upkeep and 10% on personal effects like toiletries, sanitary pad among others during the 2023/2023 academic year.
