Government Threatens to Close Down Non-Performing Secondary And Vocational Schools

• Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has threatened to close second-cycle institutions failing to live up to expectations
• He told heads of secondary and vocational schools in Kumasi on March 11 and 12 that they must roll out intervention programmes to improve their pass rates, especially if they are in the 0 to 10% region
• He said if a school is closed, affected students would be redistributed to nearby schools to continue

The education minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has warned secondary and vocational schools that they would be closed if they fail to improve their education outcomes.

He issued the threat when he addressed members of the influential Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) and Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training TVET Institutions over the weekend on March 11 and 12, 2023 in Kumasi.

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A Joy News story published on Monday, March 13, 2023, reported that the minister said second-cycle schools with a consistent zero to 10% pass rate would have to initiate programmes to improve their results.

Dr Adutwum said the country is better off closing the non-performing second-cycle schools than spending huge funds on them when they are not delivering on intended outcomes.

He explained that in the instance that a school is closed for non-performance, the students would be redistributed to other nearby schools so they could continue their education.

The education minister, respected for his great work in education in the United State of America further admonished the heads of schools gathered at the conference to stop being a barrier to first-year students trying to enrol.

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He said the school heads act as barriers when they include unapproved items on the prospectus.

"There is no way any student should be turned away from school because the parents have not been able to procure some items on the school’s prospectus, at least, let them come to the school and the rest could be procured with some time," he said.

GES threatens to punish SHS heads issuing unapproved prospectus

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a previous story that the Ghana Education Service said it has come to its attention that some heads of second-cycle schools were issuing prospectuses not approved by the service.

A statement issued by Price Charles Agyemang-Duah, acting director of schools and instructions, on Monday, February 27, 2023, said headmasters found guilty of the practice would be punished severely.

SHS and TVET students were directed to report to their schools on February 20 for orientation for academic work to start on February 27, 2023.

Source: YEN.com.gh