SSS Heads Disappear As Pressure for Admission Mounts

As the pressure for admission of fresh students into senior secondary schools mounts, there is a general trend of "missing" heads of the schools, especially those considered to be "first class".

None of the heads was available in several secondary schools the GNA visited on Monday.

Parents and guardians, who had come to enquire about the chances of their wards' admission, were disappointed as they were told to come after the selection meeting re-scheduled for Thursday and Friday, September 14 and 15.

Lady Queen Akrofi-Bruce, Assistant Headmistress (Administration) of Accra Girls' Secondary School (AGISS) told the GNA that the school had not yet come out with any cut-off point for the various programmes and would decide after the selection meeting, based on the performance of the applicants who selected the school as their first choice.

Neither the headmistress nor the two assistants at Achimota Secondary School was available for any comment.

A note on the school's notice board, dated September 6, 2001, signed by Mrs. Charlotte Brew-Graves, Headmistress, indicated the cut off points for the various programmes as aggregate 06 with seven ones for General Science, aggregates 07 for General Arts, 06 for General Agriculture and 11 for Home Economics and 12 for Visual Arts.

At the Legon Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School, an official said more than 1,800 had applied for the school as their first choice, but the school could admit at most 600 students.

He added that the admission panel was working to make the choice of applicants before the general selection meeting to save time. Cards for applicants not offered admission would be sent to their second choices at the selection meeting.

The Headmistress of Accra Academy and her two deputies were not available.

The national education authorities have given September 25 as the re-opening date for continuing students. Freshmen are to report by October 1.