Free SHS enrollment hit by hitches

Reports that emanated from the enrolment of fresh students at the various senior high schools (SHSs) across the country indicated that the exercise on the first day was laden with some structural challenges.

Even though there was some relative calm yesterday, some parents expressed anger over the ‘Day Student’ status of their children.

Some of the parents lamented that while they were residing in one region their children had been made day students in another region.

“We stay in Nsawam in the Eastern Region but my daughter has been made a day student instead of being made a boarding student,” a mother whose daughter had been offered admission at Accra Girls High School, lamented.

Another parent who journeyed from the Central Region to enroll her ward had the same experience.

“She was given her documents [but] we realised she was made a day student. When I asked them to change they said nothing can be done,” a disappointed woman told our reporter.

But the headmaster of Accra Girls High School explained to reporters that the school authorities used the index numbers of students to determine where they live.

He said it might take a miracle for the status of disillusioned students to be changed because the government has provided funds for only 200 boarding students.

The situation at Mfantsipim in the Central Region was same as a student who lives in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region had been made a day student.

But there was another challenge which had to do with programmes offered students.

Some parents whose children were given General Science protested that it be changed.

“They said they know the capacity of their children and the science programme will not enhance it,” a parent opined.

The authorities at St. Charles SHS in the Northern Region were however, pleased with the number of students allocated to the school.

According to them, they requested for 150 students because of the school’s infrastructural capacity but they were given 280 students.

The school is currently facing accommodation issues after a fire tore through its boys’ dormitory last year.

Meanwhile, our Ashanti Regional Chief Bureau, James Appiakorang, reported that many parents complained about the slow pace of the admission process.

According to him, many parents defied the early morning showers in the regional capital, Kumasi, to go to the respective schools of placement of their children.

“The parents who appeared anxious felt agitated by the least reason and piled serious pressure on school authorities. What made the situation worse was the absence of teachers to offer answers to their nagging questions,” Today observed.

According to our reporter, at the Kumasi Wesley Girls Senior High School, some parents complained they had been frequenting the school since last week but could not see any list of their admitted students, a situation which put them in a serious dilemma.

At the Asanteman Senior High School, our gathered that many expectant parents who were there in the morning were happy to benefit from the Free SHS their wards were about to enjoy and heaped praises on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Headmaster of Prempeh College, Mr. Samuel Kwadwo Fordjour, who took time to address the hundreds of parents who thronged the school yesterday, assured them of prompt admissions.

The school, Mr. Fordjour said, was ready to admit 788 students this year but about the time he was addressing them just about 300 had reported.