Gov't embarks on infrastructural improvement in SHS

Published in the Daily Graphic on 2/03/2010, back pg lead.

Story: Matilda Attram
THE government has started infrastructure development in senior high schools (SHSs) in the country as part of efforts to cater for fourth-year SHS students.
The projects, which are estimated to cost millions of Ghana cedis, are expected to adequately equip the schools to run the new four-year second-cycle programme effectively.
Funding for the project is being sourced from donor organisations.
The Deputy Director in charge of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Education, Mr Paul Kofi Krampa, disclosed this in an interview in Accra yesterday.
He said the project, which was expected to be completed by the next academic year, would improve on learning facilities in public SHSs.
“Projects are ongoing in some schools and are expected to be completed by September this year to make room for the admission of new students for the programme,” he added.
Among the projects were the construction of additional classroom blocks, the provision of relevant textbooks and accommodation for teachers, he said.
He said attention would be given to less-endowed schools to bring them up to a standardised level to effectively churn out outstanding students.
Mr Krampa said the government was attaching importance to the project due to its seriousness about reforming second- cycle education.
Cabinet has given approval for the reversal of the duration of the SHS course from four to three years, effective September this year.
The NPP administration, in the 2007 educational reform, introduced the four-year programme.
Under the reform, there is a four-year programme for SHS and 11 years of basic education.