The Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Mr Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, says the decision by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to introduce a semester system at the pre-tertiary level is not justifiable.
According to him, the GES needed to have a broader consultation with all stakeholders in the educational sector to have a better system devoid of any challenges.
Mr Gyetuah said this in a telephone interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accraon Wednesday when he shared his thoughts on the introduction of the semester system at pre-tertiary level which had drawn diverse opinions from educational actors.
“It is something that they feel is good for them, but it lacks proper consultation and when you fail to consult, you are always going to get challenges,” he said.
“It is surprising to me that as at now they have not called it off to make adequate the system so that everybody will be satisfied in the country,” Mr Kwasi Gyetuah added.
The Executive Director indicated that the citizens of the country had become discerning and that any decision brought up by any government agency would be subjected to public opinion and criticism.
He, therefore, called on the GES to pay attention to the opinions of the Ghanaian populace and rectify their decision.
“The country has matured enough to the point that when you bring something out, it shall be subjected to public opinion and criticism,” he said.
“When you find out that the public is not thanking the way you perceive they would have spoken for you, you quickly do the rectification and then you move on”, he added.
Mr. Kwasi Gyetuah indicated that private schools would not move from the trimester system which they had practised over the years to the semester system being introduced by the GES as it was not compulsory per the regulations.
He, however, noted that the private schools had developed a more comprehensive system to salvage the situation if the need arises.
“We the private schools are not going by the semester system. Regulations do not make it compulsory to stick our neck out to it. The probate schools are on their own and they developed something comprehensive to salvage the situation,” he said.
The GES has recently come under a lot of public backlash for the introduction of a semester system at the pre-tertiary level as it sought to move away from the trimester system that had been in practice over the past years.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
