By McDonald Amankwah
Director of Field Operations of the United Party (UP), Hopeson Adorye, has raised concerns about Ghana’s Senior High School (SHS) placement system, citing practical challenges facing students and their families.
Speaking during the headlines discussion on the GTV Breakfast Show, Mr Adorye said his brother’s son, who lives in Accra, had been placed in a school in Cape Coast as a day student.
He said such placements raised concerns about the practicality of the system, particularly when students were assigned to schools far from their homes without suitable boarding arrangements.
Mr Adorye also stressed that the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) should not be viewed as an examination that determines a student’s future.
“The BECE is not an exam to determine your future. It is an exam to place you in secondary school.”
He further noted that some students choose schools despite knowing that their grades may not meet the requirements for admission.
“Some know their grade 36 does not allow them into PRESEC, but they still choose and do not get.”
To address the challenges, Mr Adorye called for increased investment in school infrastructure, including the construction of e-blocks and additional boarding facilities in existing schools.
He cited Aduman Senior High School, arguing that the distance between some of its facilities makes boarding accommodation a more practical option for some students.
Mr Adorye also welcomed plans by the Education Minister to upgrade some schools, saying improved infrastructure could help ease pressure on the current placement system.
