Only 10% of 2017 SHS graduates qualified for tertiary

The attention of the Ministry of Education has been drawn to a news item published on Saturday 26th May 2018 on the online portal of ultimatefmonline titled 'Only 10% of 2017 SHS Graduates Qualified for Tertiary -Napo'.

In the said news item, it is claimed that in a speech read on his behalf at an event in Koforidua on Wednesday 23rd May 2018, the Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh stated that only 10% of the 2017 WASSCE candidates qualified for tertiary education.

The general public is invited to note that whilst a speech was read on the Minister's behalf by the Ministry's Director of Pre-tertiary Education, Mrs. Catherine Appiah-Pinkrah at the said event, she did state clearly that the 10% pass rate at the 2017 WASSCE was in relation to the country's 423 low-performing public senior high schools.

There are 680 public senior high schools in the country. By omitting the reference to the 423 low-performing schools that was clearly stated, the report gave the speech a completely different twist and interpretation, and therefore ought to be treated with the utter contempt it deserves.

The Ministry is disappointed that a media house of its standing would make such non-contextual claims in flagrant breach of basic journalistic practice and code of ethics.

The Ministry demands that ultimatefm.com immediately investigates this news item and bring to book its Eastern Regional correspondent for his poor professional and further, to retract this story and issued an unqualified apology for this blatant misrepresentation.

Finally, the Ministry hopes that media houses will conduct careful due diligence before publishing its news stories, as such gross misrepresentations have the potential to harm hard-won reputations.

Ekow Vincent Assafuah

Head, Public Relations Unit