Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ben Boakye, has called for a rethink of the emphasis placed on students’ Junior High School (JHS) grades in determining their educational opportunities and future prospects.
According to him, students develop at different rates, and their academic performance at the JHS level should not be used as a definitive measure of their long-term abilities.
“We shouldn’t be too busy about grades and judging kids by their grades at JHS level. Because kids, you know, develop at different paces, right?” Boakye said on Newsfile on JoyNews.
He noted that while some students may excel at the JHS level, others could perform better as they progress through higher levels of education.
“Some will do better at JHS. They go to university, they do better than those who did well in JHS,” he said.
Mr Boakye therefore urged stakeholders in the education sector to focus on creating equal opportunities for students to develop their abilities, rather than allowing early academic performance to define their prospects.
“So we need to push to give people equal opportunity and ability to grow to become better citizens of our state,” he said.
His comments come amid ongoing discussions about the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), particularly concerns over intense competition for places in some of Ghana’s highly sought-after senior high schools.
He stressed that the broader focus of the education system should be to ensure that every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to develop their potential, regardless of their early academic performance.
