The 2023 Free SHS students prospectus issued by some public second-cycle schools to parents has become a hindrance to accessing education for students whose parents could not afford the items listed.
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, The Minister for Education, has therefore directed that all Senior High/Technical Schools students who have not reported due to their inability to purchase the said items to report to school immediately without them.
In an interaction with journalists, at the end of the School Placement Conference, the Minister called on all parents to get their children to report to school whether they have the listed items or not.
He called on parents of 2022 BECE graduates not to worry so much about meeting all the requirements on the prospectus before enrolling their children.
“Parents of Ghana, if your child has not reported to school yet because you are waiting to get all the items on the prospectus, I want you to know that my head teachers want to see you in school immediately.”
“So even if you don’t have all your items, go to school the head teachers can’t wait to see you and welcome you to their schools,” the Minister in charge of Education told the media after the computer school placement briefing.
Dr. Yaw Adutwum also encouraged the 2023 Free Senior High School (Free SHS) students to manage the little that they were given by their parents, adding that “if you are determined, one day you will tell your story.”
Heads of public second-cycle schools have been cautioned not to turn such students away if the parents do not provide all the listed items.
“There is no way any student should be turned away from school because the parents have not been able to procure some items on the school’s prospectus,” the Education Minister told heads of Senior High/Technical Schools.
READ: JUST IN: New 2023 BECE Date Announced By GES
Citing the current economic situation, he said “at least, let them come to the school and the rest could be procured with some time, adding that “that will create an enabling environment for students, where they can study and excel.”
The need to harmonize school prospectus into a common one for all public schools has become important due to the tall list of items required by some schools and the strange items that were found on some of them.
“Management of the Ghana Education Service takes strong exception to this practice, and wishes to state unequivocally that the practice is prohibited and must cease with immediate effect,” the GES press statement said.
In a related development, WAEC has released the examination date for the 2023 BECE. According to the Council, the 2023 BECE will start on 7th August and end on 11th August 2023