Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament who doubles as the MP for Builsa South Dr. Clement Apaak has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo over the latter’s comments on the recent results released by the West African Examination Council for the 2021 WASSCE.
The legislator says the president is gloating on results “some suggest was procured through “engineering” and comparing that to genuine and results by students under his predecessor”.
President Akufo-Addo has expressed utmost satisfaction with the Free Senior High School policy, introduced by his administration in September 2017.
He said the policy is currently guaranteeing a minimum of senior high school education for all of Ghana’s children.
Speaking at the 70 th anniversary celebration of the Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO) in Tamale, on Saturday, 11 th December 2021, the President said The results of the 2020 and 2021 WASSCE results, the President stated, give further evidence of why the Free SHS policy has been a success so far.
“There were some who described Free SHS as “a waste”; some said it would “destroy our Ivy League Schools”, and some indicated that the policy was going to compromise the quality of senior high school education. None of these have happened, and I am sure they have eggs on their faces now, or should have, President Akufo-Addo stated.
He continued, “The 2021 WASSCE results of the second batch of the “Akufo-Addo graduates” shows 54.08% of students recording A1-C6 in English, as opposed to 51.6% in 2016; 65.70% recording A1-C6 in Integrated Science in 2021, as opposed to 48.35% in 2016; 54.11% recording A1-C6 in Mathematics, as compared to 33.12% in 2016; and 66.03% recording A1-C6 in Social Studies, as compared to 54.55% in 2016. Lest we forget, the 2021 batch of students were the pioneers of the double track system, which elicited a lot of vilification and unfounded criticism on its introduction.”
But reacting, Dr. Clement Apaak posited that has misled himself in thinking that the “engineered” results for the periods he refereed to, can surpass that of former President John Dramani Mahama.
Dr. Apaak said the results the president refereed to were fraught with irregularities, massive leakages of questions and malpractice.
He said the examination organized lacked integrity and with the complicity of an examination body (WAEC), whose integrity is currently in question, to the authentic and organic results under John Mahama and the NDC.
“JM didn’t procure and supply past examination questions and examiners reports as part of an effort to cover up monumental challenges affecting teaching and learning at the secondary school level: Obnoxious double track; Erratic academic calendar; overworked teaching and non-teaching staff; inadequate and unwholesome food; inadequate space and furniture; Culture of silence; lack of adequate core subject textbooks; delay is release of funds among others. JM built new secondary schools, expanded existing schools, didn’t punish school heads for speaking out, didn’t overburden teaching and non-teaching staff, didn’t supply expired unwholesome and expired food items to schools. Under JM 22 SHS didn’t score zero.”
Read his full statement below
President Akufo-Addo should be telling us what he has done to address the challenges debilitating effective teaching and learning in our Secondary schools since he took over power, and retained it through “ways and means” even when Ghanaians rejected him, including beneficiaries of fSHS, rather than gloating on results some suggest was procured through “engineering” and comparing that to genuine and results by students under his predecessor.
Akufo-Addo must be living in another planet or his handles must have misled him to compare the engineerned results procured through massive leakages, malpractices and cheating with the complicity of an examination body (WAEC), whose integrity is currently in question, to the authentic and organic results under JM and the NDC.
JM didn’t procure and supply past examination questions and examiners reports as part of an effort to cover up monumental challenges affecting teaching and learning at the secondary school level: Obnoxious double track; Erratic academic calendar; overworked teaching and un-teaching staff; inadequate and unwholesome food; inadequate space and furniture; Culture of silence; lack of adequate core subject textbooks; delay is release of funds among others. JM built new secondary schools, expanded existing schools, didn’t punish school heads for speaking out, didn’t overburden teaching and non-teaching staff, didn’t supply expired unwholesome and expired food items to schools. Under JM 22 SHS didn’t score zero.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
