At the behest of Hon. Frank Aidoo (MCE), after a presentation on the performance of 2022 BECE results to him by officials of the Municipal Education Directorate, the MCE called for an engagement with teacher, headteachers and other relevant stakeholders in the municipality to address the poor perfomance. This engagement happened on Tuesday, 18th July, 2023 at the PWCE Auditorium. It brought together the about seven hundred teachers from kindergarten to Junior High School in the municipality.
Present were the Hon. Frank Aidoo (MCE), Ms. Lydia Akueteh (MCD), Mrs. Elizabeth Afriyie (Education Director), Mrs. Cynthia Anim (Principal, PWCE) and Nana Gyakari Ntim Gyakari and senior officials of the Education Directorate.
The MCE revealed he had already engaged headteachers and this was particularly to bring teachers up to speed on revitalizing and improving the educational standards of BECE students in the coming and subsequent examination. He bemoaned the current education performance. He listed several interventions in the form of initiatives such as quizzes, printing of mock exams for students to familiarize with the BECE questions.
He revealed last year’s pass rate was 53 percent for the whole municipality. Breaking it down further by way of separating the private from public schools, the pass mark was 23 percent for the latter.
Hon. Frank Aidoo further stated all present must take collective responsibility and measures such as monitoring, improving reading skills, constant supervision and mentoring should be intensified to remedy the situation.
Mrs. Cynthia Anim on her behalf together with the teachers, collectively accept the blame and pleaded that known challenges such as issues with the curriculum and adequate supply of textbooks need to be addressed. She brought to the fore the issue of some teachers not being able to read and write as has been found out as another challenge. She asked that parents also need to take responsibility and that educating children was a cycle, if one breaks it, then it becomes disjointed leading to the current circumstance.
The presentation of the previous year’s performance was done by Mr. Addy of the Education Directorate. He started by explaining the WAEC grading system and the parameters considered each year based on the national averages. He stated that 1167 students took the exams in the municipality, 626 passed and 541 failed (had aggregates above 36). Again, he made it known that the best student in the municipality had aggregate 08. Three students had aggregates between 06 and 09. In the public schools, 26.7 percent passed (ie between aggregates 06 to 36) and the rest had aggregates above 36.
Some interventions put in place in the schools that performed included extended contact hours, SMA and PTA assistance among others. Some schools were randomly projected and their headteachers were made to come forth with their strategies that worked as well as their challenges to see how best they could be mitigated. Challenges that run through the schools were cohabiting students, lack of proper parenting (teachers buying food for students), absenteeism, mass transfer of teachers, indiscipline among students and abject poverty.
Hon. Frank Aidoo suggested meeting the churches and mosques as that is the best place to meet parents and caretakers to present the situation to them.
Some teachers were given the opportunity to ask and questions and suggest ways in addressing the issue at hand.
Mr. Roger Quartey, the HR of the education directorate was made to present on the criteria for the selection of this year’s teachers awards in the district. Hon. Frank Aidoo thanked all for coming and admonished all present to go make a difference in their respective schools.
AKUAPIM SOUTH MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY
Akuapim South: Teachers Forum to address BECE Performance
Present were the Hon. Frank Aidoo (MCE), Ms. Lydia Akueteh (MCD), Mrs. Elizabeth Afriyie (Education Director), Mrs. Cynthia Anim (Principal, PWCE) and Nana Gyakari Ntim Gyakari and senior officials of the Education Directorate.
The MCE revealed he had already engaged headteachers and this was particularly to bring teachers up to speed on revitalizing and improving the educational standards of BECE students in the coming and subsequent examination. He bemoaned the current education performance. He listed several interventions in the form of initiatives such as quizzes, printing of mock exams for students to familiarize with the BECE questions.
He revealed last year’s pass rate was 53 percent for the whole municipality. Breaking it down further by way of separating the private from public schools, the pass mark was 23 percent for the latter.
Hon. Frank Aidoo further stated all present must take collective responsibility and measures such as monitoring, improving reading skills, constant supervision and mentoring should be intensified to remedy the situation.
Mrs. Cynthia Anim on her behalf together with the teachers, collectively accept the blame and pleaded that known challenges such as issues with the curriculum and adequate supply of textbooks need to be addressed. She brought to the fore the issue of some teachers not being able to read and write as has been found out as another challenge. She asked that parents also need to take responsibility and that educating children was a cycle, if one breaks it, then it becomes disjointed leading to the current circumstance.
The presentation of the previous year’s performance was done by Mr. Addy of the Education Directorate. He started by explaining the WAEC grading system and the parameters considered each year based on the national averages. He stated that 1167 students took the exams in the municipality, 626 passed and 541 failed (had aggregates above 36). Again, he made it known that the best student in the municipality had aggregate 08. Three students had aggregates between 06 and 09. In the public schools, 26.7 percent passed (ie between aggregates 06 to 36) and the rest had aggregates above 36.
Some interventions put in place in the schools that performed included extended contact hours, SMA and PTA assistance among others. Some schools were randomly projected and their headteachers were made to come forth with their strategies that worked as well as their challenges to see how best they could be mitigated. Challenges that run through the schools were cohabiting students, lack of proper parenting (teachers buying food for students), absenteeism, mass transfer of teachers, indiscipline among students and abject poverty.
Hon. Frank Aidoo suggested meeting the churches and mosques as that is the best place to meet parents and caretakers to present the situation to them.
Some teachers were given the opportunity to ask and questions and suggest ways in addressing the issue at hand.
Mr. Roger Quartey, the HR of the education directorate was made to present on the criteria for the selection of this year’s teachers awards in the district. Hon. Frank Aidoo thanked all for coming and admonished all present to go make a difference in their respective schools.
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