Re-visit SHS duration – Former UCC Vice-Chancellor
The former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Reverend Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng on Saturday called on all stakeholders in the education sector to dispassionately re-visit the issue of the duration of Senior High Schools in the country.
He lauded the four-year duration, with the reason that, it yielded excellent results and appealed for it to be prudently depoliticized, bearing in mind that it should not be a win or lose affair for any group of people but rather what was right for the children of Ghana.
Prof. Adow Obeng said this at the fifth and final session of the UCC’s 44th Congregation on Saturday, when he was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree together with Prof. Kwesi Afransa,Haizel, the foundation Dean of the UCC’s School of Agriculture.
A total of 4,934 graduates including1,048 Post graduate students were awarded bachelor and post graduate degree after passing out of the UCC this year.
He further expressed concern about the fact that public schools were poorly resourced, affecting the performance of its products, which are in the majority, whilst the few whose parents could afford the expensive private school education continue to excel.
“It is education that can free the mind, enhance our potential and give us the reach to do better for ourselves than depend on others, so every effort should be made by all stakeholders to level the ground for every child or individual to benefit from quality education”, he added.
Prof. Obeng outlined some measures that could be put in place to address the disparity between the public and private schools to include enacting practical policies that will level the grounds for all students.
This he said will offer for all students the opportunity to cover the syllabus adequately and also pass their examinations well.
Prof. Obeng also called for strong family support system, which will enable children to achieve their dreams, urging parents to take keen interest in the education of their children and provide them with basic emotional needs such as love, care and security.
He urged the graduates to put God first in all their endeavours because “we do not own ourselves and cannot achieve anything by our own strength, it has always been by God’s providence, provision and grace” that sustain everyone.
He expressed gratitude to the UCC authorities for the award.
Present at the ceremony was the Vice President, Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.
Source: GNA