Every year, after students complete the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), a troubling situation unfolds. Students return home only to be called back to participate in a hurried and stressful school selection process.
Although the post-BECE system aims to ensure fairness and efficiency in placing our students in Senior High Schools (SHS), it has turned into a significant source of anxiety for stakeholders. Is progress worth sacrificing practicality and empathy? I firmly appeal for an urgent review of the policy. Why tear down a previously functional model? Why continue a process that alienates the students it aims to support?
The Standpoint:
First and foremost, school selection procedure after the exams is fraught with logistical issues. In the past, students chose their SHS options before taking their exams, this allows for thoughtful decisions guided by teachers. It creates clear academic objectives for learners. Now, the process happens after students have emotionally distanced themselves from their schools. It makes it challenging to reach or advise them. Indisputably, many students stay temporarily with urban guardians and return to their remote hometowns post-exam, severing communication with their schools.
A head teacher in Greater Accra explains, “We routinely struggle to track students down using old contacts and absent guardians. It’s a nightmare.” This leads to a critical question: how can a system reliant on data function effectively when its key participants are inaccessible?
Additionally, the policy places financial pressure on families. Undeniably, parents are often required to transport their children back to urban areas for school selection. They incur significant costs and cover long distances with the risks involved. Is it fair to expect parents from disadvantaged rural areas to undertake such journeys for a task that could have been completed with less strain before?
The psychological toll on students is another important factor. Following the stress of the BECE, the students deserve time to recuperate and not to face another stressful decision. This means that compelling them to return for school placement discussion revives the pressure they hoped to have left behind. A Psychologist Dr. Gifty Quarshie highlights that “Students need time to decompress after national exams. Reintroducing school routines too soon can cause anxiety and burnout” (Quarshie, 2022).
Moreover, the current system can demotivate students. When they select their schools before the BECE, they often work harder, driven by a clear objective. By reversing this structure, the Ministry risks stripping away one of the few inherent motivators in education. Without a dream school to aim for, what motivates students to study diligently?
Lastly, the post-exam selection procedure is prone to errors. The hastily gathered data, absent students, and overwhelmed school administrators lead to inaccuracies. In point of fact, each year, social media showcases frustrated parents whose children are misassigned to unintended schools or whose data is mishandled.
Given these basis, one must wonder: What problem does this new system address that the old one did not? Or more urgently, why uphold a policy that creates more harm than benefit?
Recommendations:
In light of the above, I put forward the following recommendations for the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service:
- Reinstate the Pre-BECE School Selection System: This structure enabled schools to provide guidance and allowed students to establish clear academic objectives. It functioned effectively for many years-why not revert to what has proven successful?
- Enhance School Counselling Before BECE: Educators should receive training to assist students in making informed choices ahead of exams. This will reduce the likelihood of misplacement due to last-minute decisions.
- Digitize and Decentralize the Process: Enable students to complete their selections online or through community education offices before the exam period. This could alleviate travel stress and widen access for rural communities.
- Initiate an Awareness Campaign: Inform parents and guardians about the advantages of early selection and how they can assist their children. Many still do not fully grasp the ramifications of school placement decisions.
- Gather Feedback Annually: Establish a system for collecting input from teachers, parents, and students after each placement cycle to drive continuous improvement.
Conclusion
In summary, the post-BECE school selection policy, despite its good intentions, has led to more challenges than it has resolved. It undermines student motivation, places undue strain on families, disrupts school management, and perpetuates systemic inefficiencies. The former model was more student-centred, goal-oriented, and administratively efficient.
As Nelson Mandela once stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” For that weapon to be effective, the supportive systems must be both thoughtful and compassionate.
Thus, I reiterate: Why wait for yet another year filled with confusion, misplaced students, and emotional turmoil? Why risk the future of our children when the solution is already evident?
The time for change is now. Let us prioritize the learner in every decision we make. Let us restore hope, dignity, and purpose to our school placement process-starting today.
WRITTEN BY:
Wisdom Koudjo Klu,
Education Expert/Columnist,
Greater Accra Region.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Let’s Fix the Broken Bridge: Our BECE School Placement System Needs a Reset appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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