Public SSS cannot absorb all the BECE graduates

Accra, July 18, GNA - Not all candidates who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) would gain automatic entry into public secondary and technical schools, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports told Parliament on Tuesday.

He said in view of the limited first year vacancies in the public secondary/technical schools not all the candidates would find a place in the 500 secondary schools and 23 technical institutions.

Answering parliamentary questions, Papa Owusu-Ankomah said arrangements had been made to ensure successful placement of candidates. He said the ministry together with the Ghana Education Service (GES) has embarked on an elaborate public educational programme with this year's placement and registration of the 2007 BECE in mind. According the Minister some information in this regard has been put in the media.

"The TV and radio discussions in the local languages have taken place and is still ongoing. There had been regional for a in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West." He said the Central, Western, Volta and Greater Accra would have their turn soon.

"The sensitization public briefing and education activities are ongoing at the district, town and village level." According to the Minister the computerize school selection and placement system have been largely successful. He however said there were challenges and concerns, which emanated from the general public.

"These challenges and some concerns did not arise from the implementation arrangement but the inability of JSS heads and teachers to detect and correct wrong shading of school and programme codes during the registration.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah said in few cases candidates forgot their gender and shaded the wrong gender codes and as result ended up in the opposite sex school.

"In all errors detected were 134,000. It cost the ministry and the GES a fortune to correct the errors."

He said data analysis indicate that errors encountered have considerably reduced to approximately 50,000.