Heads of Schools express mixed feelings about four-year SHS system

Cape Coast, March 12, GNA - Some heads of Senior High Schools(SHS) in Cape Coast, on Thursday expressed concern that it would be difficult for them to admit new students for the 2010/2011 academic year due to lack of infrastructural facilities. Most of them maintained that although the four- year duration system being introduced this year for the SHS was good, the crux of the matter was that existing facilities was not enough to comfortably accommodate students already in school, let alone new entrants. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Assistant Headmaster of Adisadel College, Mr. Joseph Opare said the school lacked the full complement of boarding facilities.

Mr. Mieza Edjah, Headmaster of Mfantsipim School told the GNA that the school will not exceed an intake of 300 students next academic year to avoid overstretching the inadequate facilities. He appealed to the government and the school's Parents Teacher Association (PTA) to assist the academic facility to transform some technical blocks into dormitories, in order not to create over-crowding of students.

Mr Edjah lauded the four-year term duration. The Assistant Headmaster of Academy of Christ the King School, Mr. Paul Tenkorang told the GNA that an eight-unit pavilion initiated by the PTA of the school and now being funded by Approacher's Ghana Limited is under construction at a its new site at Abura, near Cape Coast.

He appealed to the GETFund to take over the project to ensure its early completion in order to lessen the pressure that will accompany the admission of new students.

Mr. Tenkorang also endorsed the four year academic term, saying it will cut down the number of remedial classes students attend after taking their final examinations. He observed that it will also create more room for them to get involved in extra curricular activities for their physical and emotional development.

The Headmaster of St. Augustine's College, Mr. Joseph Connel said although new classroom blocks were under construction it would not admit more than it could accommodate.

The Headmistress of Holy Child School, Mrs. Veronica Amponsaa Minta Nyarku was of the view that with the right structures in place, the current three-year term would have been enough because the performance of students of the school over the years was encouraging. She however said aside the school's transport and toilet facilities that would be over stretched, the academic institution had enough accommodation to admit new students.

Mrs Minta Nyarku called on the Ghana Education Service to endeavour to provide classrooms, dormitories and dinning facilities to create a congenial and more comfortable environment for the students. Some third year students of the school told the GNA that that they were comfortable with the additional one year, since it could afford them the opportunity to complete their syllabus and pass well.