In our earlier publication “Why 2022 BECE graduates will be disappointed with school placement: How to avoid it, we identified three reasons why candidates will be disappointed, however in this article, we will touch on 5 dangerous School Selections Mistakes Schools, Students and Parents Make.
Once you are done with reading this article be alert as a parent, as a school officer in charge of data entry, be alert and concerned as a parent or guardian and be responsible as a BECE graduate so that your school placement is not put in danger.
5 dangerous School Selection Mistakes Schools, Students and Parents Make
For some reason, when BECE graduates are placed in schools they chose, they or their parents complain that the final schools they chose have been changed or have been re-arranged. This happens for several reasons, and once a student is not placed, the blame game begins. To avoid this and other problems, take note of the following.
#1. School data officers making wrong entries into the school selection software
The first of the 5 dangerous School Selection mistakes is school data officers making wrong entries into the school selection software. When making entries, data officers must not be permitted to work alone because they are IT professionals or have good IT knowledge. Instead, schools must have a third and fourth person to cross-check the entries, either from the software or the initial print-outs. Haven been in charge of the BECE registration for nearly 15 years, experience has shown that having someone to check through your entries ensures that errors are avoided and the right schools and programmes submitted by candidates are also entered accurately.
#2. Candidates changing schools without parents’ consent
The second of the 5 dangerous School Selection mistakes relate to candidates changing schools without parents’ consent. After candidates have with the help of their parents made the necessary school choices and arrangements, some candidates alter the school choices and may even sign against the edited schools on behalf of their parents. To ensure this does not happen on the blind side of parents, parents should ensure that have a copy of the schools and programmes or take screenshots of the final schools before the candidate takes it to school. Better still, parents should find time to personally submit the choices in their ward’s Junior High School. Sometimes students are tempted to change schools due to peer pressure or their lack of interest in a particular school or programme their parents are imposing on them.
READ: 2022 Free SHS School Selection Form Released By Free SHS Secretariat
#3 Parents not taking useful suggestions from teachers and schools
The third 5 dangerous School Selections Mistakes have to do with parents not taking useful suggestions from teachers and schools. Most parents do not know the academic strength of their wards, yet they will not receive any input from schools and teachers. Such parents choose schools based on their overrated taste and believe that their wards are very good and would merit the choices they have made. If this is not checked, the wrong choices will be made either in terms of schools, programmes and even accommodation options which will affect the candidate’s chance of being placed. Schools and parents must keep communication lines open and transfer information among themselves on the school choices among others. Candidates must not change schools without the consent of their parents, instead, they should explain why they prefer a particular school or programme to their parents to help in decision-making.
#4. Do not choose schools and programmes as a parent because you will not be studying for the ward.
It is very dangerous to have parents and guardians who are not fully involved or interested in the school selection process. They leave everything to the candidate or a teacher and just in case the wrong options are made, or a candidate is not enrolled in a particular choice, they blame the school, the teacher and the government for no reason.
#5. Finally, parents should avoid forcing schools and programmes on candidates.
As a parent note that you are not going to learn the programme you desperately want the student to choose, hence learn to understand the career ambitions of the student, understand their choices and why and help them make better choices that match their interest. Failure to do this can affect the morale of the candidate and compel them to change the programmes and schools without your knowledge.
READ: Why 2022 BECE graduates will be disappointed with school placement: How to avoid it
Now that we know the 5 dangerous School Selection mistakes Schools, Students and Parents make, let’s take steps to avoid them.
Source: Wisdom HAMMOND