EduWatch queries MoE over CoE entrance test amid Free SHS

After the introduction of the CoE entrance test for WASSCE graduates seeking admission at Teacher Training Colleges, Africa Education Watch has questioned the credibility of the 6-year-old Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.

The Education think tank’s concern comes after President Akufo-Addo at the 70th Anniversary of Opoku Ware School said the implementation of the free school program had improved the quality of second-cycle school education.

“6 years on following the implementation of the Free SHS policy, which has guaranteed SHS education for 1.7 million children I can state, without equivocation, that I am very proud of the policy and of its results thus far,” he stated.

His Excellency noted that the 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results of the third batch of the “Akufo-Addo graduates” show 60.39% of students recording A1-C6 in English, as opposed to 51.6% in 2016.

“The 2022 results are the best of the last eight (8) years. Surely, there can no longer be any controversy about the validity of the Free SHS policy and its consequential measures. It is working and working well,” Akufo-Addo said.

But EduWatch reacting to Nana Addo’s comment has said if the Free SHS has tremendously improved the quality of education in the country then there is no need to introduce the College of Education (CoE) entrance examination.

“If free SHS has tremendously improved quality, why is MoE introducing an entrance exam in Math and English for free SHS graduates with Credit Passes in WASSCE Math and English, seeking to enter Colleges of Education?” it queried.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Watch, Kofi Asare has said the College of Education entrance examination dubbed the Ghana Basic Education Skills Examination Test (GBEST) will end cheating in WASSCE for School.

“I have noted the NTCs intention to introduce a literacy and numeracy entry exam before admission in Colleges. Having witnessed how some candidates obtain good WASSCE results, I strongly endorse the decision,” Asare said.

The literacy and numeracy entry examination to be administered for WASSCE graduates before they are admitted to any of the public Colleges of Education, the National Teaching Council has said will be conducted next academic year.

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Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Christian Addai Poku told stakeholders students who become successful at the Ghana Basic Education Skills Examination Test will be only given admission to pursue various teacher education.

“The GBEST will, thus, be used as the entry assessment for the trainee teachers and after completion, the students will be made to write a level and subject-based licensure examination to be qualified as professional teachers,” he stated.