Akufo-Addo had it wrong: Reports of exams malpractices under FSHS terrible – Dr. Apaak

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has stated that examination reports on the government’s flagship programme Free Senior High School (FSHS) has been very bad.

This follows President Akufo-Addo in addressing Chartered Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) stating that “Free SHS WASSCE Results Better Than Those Of 2016”.

President Akufo-Addo also commended CHASS’ dedication and support to the resounding success of the groundbreaking Free Senior High School (Free SHS) Policy, which was inaugurated in September 2017.

But the Member of Parliament for Builsa South disagrees with the President’s assertion.

According to him, since the first batch of the FSHS was implemented by President Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia and the NPP government, “The level of examination malpractices are astonishing.”

“Don’t take it from me. I’m sure you have seen the reports every year issued by Africa Education Watch and another monitoring team led by a former headmaster and a former NAGRAT President led by Comrade Kwami Alorvi. That is another factor.

“Three the President talks about quality. What I have just narrated should come to Ghanaians as surprise that we are having our tertiary institutions publicly indicating how students are struggling to meet a minimum CGPA of 1.0. I am sure you have seen a statement that was issued by the University of Ghana. Call any lecturer either in the traditional university, technical university, a college of education or a nursing training college. They will tell you that they admitted students who had A1 in English, A1 Maths, A1 Integrated Science and yet these students are struggling to cope with tertiary level education,” Dr. Apaak narrated on Radio Gold.

He continued: “So the point I am making is that given the background that I have presented it is clear that we have to look up to what is going on with the performance of students at the tertiary level as bases of measuring quality. Because for a lack of better word the system has been highly compromised.”

Dr. Apaak further stated that some parents who saw the results of their wards were shocked to the marrow. “I know of a parent who knows that his daughter was very deficient in maths but the results were out and the daughter got A1 in maths. The parent was shocked as to how her daughter could achieve such a grade. The recent WASSCE that we was written the reports are there, the answers were written on black boards. We know of supervisors and invigilators who were busily assisting students to cheat.”

According to the MP, the reports by Africa Education Watch and other groups also captured headmasters and teachers whose actions were not good foraA well-organized exams.

“Do you know why teachers themselves have now decided that if this is what is going to please the government they will do whatever it takes to make the government happy. Because this Minister under Akufo-Addo had instituted a list table where headmasters and schools are applauded and rewarded based on the outcome of WASSCE.

“When your school does not do well you are asked to stand up at meetings with your peers and the minister’s action will make you feel down. We know of instances where headmasters have even been threatened if they do not produce good grades. So when you do this and you have the conditions that I have narrated and you then go on to try and boost about quality. Clearly that quality is not demonstrated by the competence and capacity of the students. After they get those grades.”

“That is why as I speak I know for a fact that tertiary institutions across this country are advocating the introduction of entrance examinations. Because they have lost faith in the current arrangement,” he added.

Dr. Apaak stated that this is because students who have good grades when they enter the tertiary institutions are unable to perform.

Source: Today.com.gh