The immediate past Upper East Regional Director of Education, Edward Azure in ascribing reasons to the abysmal performance of students both at the Basic Education Certificate Examination and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) levels, indicated that some educational policies including the wholesale admission of students into various senior high schools are not helping and should be reviewed.
Speaking at an event organized to send him off following his retirement having worked as an employee of the Ghana Education Service for decades and eventually retiring on October 21, 2022, as the regional director of education, Mr. Azure, said many factors account for the poor performance at both BECE and WASSCE levels in the Upper East Region, Ghana’s North, and the entire country and key among them is the policy of wholesale promotion.
The performance of schools in the region has been a matter of concern for many with authorities in the region now intending to organize a series of activities hoping to address the challenges.
In a citation eulogizing Mr. Azure, the directorate of education said he is highly respected and remained a dedicated educational organizer and manager, who set up an effective blueprint for the growth of education in the region.
Mr. Azure rose from a pupil teacher and eventually became a full-time teacher and served in various capacities and regions including North East, Savannah, Northern, and Upper East Regions until his retirement as a regional director.
In his address to express his gratitude, Mr. Azure, who is now out of office did not hesitate to openly call for major changes in the educational sector.
“We are not performing well here not only because we are not working hard but sometimes, national policies have a contributory factor. There are certain policies that are not helping education at all, especially the wholesale admission into senior high schools. If somebody will listen, I think we need to look at it again. I am saying so because some people go to senior high schools because they are forced to go.
They know that if you get 8-8-8 in all the subjects, you qualify to go to senior high school so they are causing all sorts of problems.
He continued stating, “However, those things notwithstanding, our attitudes also count. The attitude of education administrators, teachers, traditional authorities, parents, communities, and students all play a part in the poor performance that we record.” He stressed.
The Regional Director of Education, Bright Lawoe, said the directorate with support from the regional coordinating council will hold an educational forum in July on the poor performance, and rising threats among others in schools in the region.
