The Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa, Dr. George Afeti, says one of the constraints militating against the objectives of Senior High School (SHS) education, was the obsession within the country's educational system to the extent that all teaching and learning are geared towards passing examinations, rather than building a learning society.

He pointed out that if the SHS was seen as contributing to the creation of a thinking and knowledgeable society, where various skills and values are learnt, instead of being seen as "clearing house" for entering the university, the debate about the duration of SHS education would not have arisen.

Dr. Afeti, who was speaking on the topic "Senior High School Education in Ghana; The Challenges and the way forward," at the 47th Annual National Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in Ho recently, said improving the quality of SHS education had more to do with the quality of teaching and learning, than the number of years spent in, what he described as, "a quality anaemic school environment."

He observed that SHS education in Ghana was more of a "selection arena" for higher education, and less emphasis placed on character formation, personal development, preparation for adult life, and citizenship.

Dr. Afeti, who is also a former Principal of the Ho Polytechnic, said it was unfortunate that much of the teachings and learning at the SHS level did not prepare students to acquire skills for work, because SHS education does not reflect the fact that the holders of certificates at that level of education could acquire basic skills that could as well be developed outside the higher education system.

He noted that SHS leavers who did not gain admission into a tertiary institution in the country, were regarded as failures, which he said, should not have be the case, and called for a national human resource development strategy that would cater for more than fifty percent of SHS leavers, who are unable to proceed to an institution of higher learning.

Dr. Afeti, who is also a Consultant on education, stressed the need to expand the SHS education, because enrollments were being increased at the Primary and Junior High school (JHS) levels, which necessitated the absorption of more students at the SHS level.

He said studies showed that greater access to SHS education by the youth could help in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) of poverty reduction, gender equality, and better health and reduced child mortality rates, while promoting equity and social mobility.

The Minister of Education, Mr. Alex Tettey-Enyo, commended Dr. Afeti for his rich knowledge in matters of education, and said most of the issues raised would really promote education at the SHS level, and announced that the government had injected over $12 million into the restructuring of Science Resources Centers this year.

He said the government was making efforts to strengthen science and technology education at the basic level, to help prepare pupils adequately, to ensure that they develop an interest in science related subjects, and opt for such courses at the higher level of learning.

Mr. Tettey-Enyo noted that the current educational system was more or less churning students without any real commitment to employing them, adding that the government was on track to promote and create employment opportunities in all sectors of the economy, so as to ensure that SHC leavers also get employment.

The Minister said as soon as practicable, the Ghana Education Service (GES) would implement the 20 percent salary allowance for teachers in the deprived communities,and the policy on accelerated promotion for teachers in rural areas, would equally be implemented, to serve as an incentive for teachers to accept postings to such areas.

He therefore urged the heads of SHS to work hard to ensure the success of educational programmes, by ensuring that those of them in less-endowed schools, made such schools attractive to prospective students to such institutions, by ensuring a sound school environment.

The National President of CHASS, Mr. Samuel Ofori-Adjei, noted that SHS education had been in a state of flux to the chagrin of many well-meaning Ghanaians, and stressed on the need to address some of the negative developments that affect education at that level.