The Education Minister is asking Grade ‘A’ schools to learn to accept students with low grades and mould them into good students capable of passing their West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
According to Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, that’s the best way to assess how best these schools are.
Speaking at the launch of the University of Cape Coast at 60 celebrations in Cape Coast, the Minister said always receiving the best Basic Education Certificate Examination pupils and making good WASSCE grades does not make them the best schools.
But he stated that receiving students with low grades and guiding them to pass their WASSCE will make the schools stand out.
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“There are places where teachers are complaining. Why are you bringing students with an aggregate of 20 here? I had a wonderful conversation with a man who is very high up.
“He called me one day and said, ‘Why are you sending students with an aggregate of 20 to PRESEC?’ And I said, ‘I think PRESEC has one of the best groups of teachers in this country’.”
According to Dr Adutwum, the man said, “Yes, it’s true. That’s my school.”
The man continued, “They are examiners, and they are very good.”
And I said, “yes, sir, I know, and because they are the ones that are examiners and are very good, they are the ones who are prepared to teach those who have an aggregate 25 and so on.”
Dr Adutwum stated that the idea that students with an aggregate of 25 should not go to PRESEC boggles his mind.
He was convinced that such students are the ones who should be posted to schools like Wesley Girls, where they have talented teachers.
“And so, if Wesley Girls wants to prove to me that they are the best, they have the best teachers, and they are the best school, they need to take in students with an aggregate of 20 and turn them around so that they can tell us that they are better than my famous school, Jachie Pramso.”
He continued: “So when Mighty JAPASS take in aggregate 30 and 40, and the students don’t do well, and they say, look at them. They are not that good. And when we send the best BECE students to the Grade A schools and they pass, they beat their chest and say they are the best school and have the best teachers. They need to prove that with such students as well,” he stated.
He says it has come to the point that everybody needs to be brought on board to help mould, shape and mentor such students; bring all people, irrespective of where they are born, into a talent pool, lift them and let them begin to know that their future is brighter.
“Some children may not have seen Water Closet (WC) before, and I tell you, they are hungry for knowledge. They believe that the only future they have is education, and when you bring them in, mentor and guide them, they will be the best this nation has to offer. I never went to Mfantsipim, Adisadel and co. So, I found myself at Jachie Pramso, and here I am, “he added.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Johnson Nyarko-Boampong, says currently, the university’s collective image as an institution is high, and across the sub-region and across the globe, the university’s reputation is very high.
He stated that globally, a university is not only being recognised for its academic excellence but also as a pacesetter in higher education.
He added: “All these achievements would not have been possible but for the collective efforts and sacrifices of junior staff, senior staff, and senior members, including those who have retired from active service and those who have passed.
“As the Vice-Chancellor of this great institution, I see this as a sign of greater things yet to come, and it’s therefore important that we work harder to overcome our challenges so that we can maintain our enviable position as a top-ranked university in Ghana, West Africa, and a global leader in terms of our research influence,” he added.
The 60th anniversary cake of the university was cut to begin the activities earmarked for the celebration.