Social interventions save 'zero per cent schools'
Ten Junior High schools (JHSs) in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, which had been scoring zero per cent in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for several years, recorded impressive performances in the 2014 BECE.
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Ms Augustina Dedo Odonkor, Deputy District Education Director in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation, announced this during an evaluation meeting at Somanya.
Three of the schools, which recorded 100 per cent passes, are Akpamu Roman Catholic (R/C) JHS, Akorwubana JHS and Ahinkwa Municipal Authority (M/A) JHS.
Wurapong M/A JHS recorded 95 per cent passes, Aboabesease R/C JHS — 92 per cent, Sutawa JHS — 85 per cent and Samlesi M/A JHS had 80 per cent passes.
The rest improved upon their performances but scored below the average pass rate. They are Aboa-Osuboninya R/C JHS — 35.72 per cent, Brukum Agavenya M/A JHS — 33.34 per cent and Akorley M/A JHS — 31.25 per cent.
The schools, classified as the least performing schools, consecutively scored zero per cent in the examinations for years, including last year.
Evaluation meeting
The evaluation meeting formed part of the District Education Observer Project (DEOP), implemented by Rite FM, a local radio station based in Somanya, and Socioserve-Ghana, a non-governmental organisation.
Ms Odonkor commended Rite FM and Socioserve-Ghana for embarking on the $60,000 project to “turn around” the performance of the schools, and called for the sustenance of the project.
“If within a year, failure could be turned into success this way, it means should the roads, electricity and other infrastructure in those communities improve, the results will be better than we see now,” she said.
Ms Odonkor, however, recommended that subsequent projects should include the kindergartens and the primary schools since they were the foundation.
Improved teacher attendance
The one-year project improved teacher attendance in the targeted schools and enhanced the capacity of Circuit Supervisors (CSs), School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in monitoring and supervising teacher-attendance and contact hours in those schools.
This was after the two implementers, through a baseline study at the start of the DEOP, realised that the schools’ abysmal performances were because teachers absented themselves regularly and even when they were present, they reported very late to class.
They also realised that because of bad roads and difficult access to means of transport, the Circuit Supervisors could not ensure effective monitoring and supervision in those schools.
Thus the two organisations implemented activities such as the creation of a weekly radio discussion platform on Rite FM and production of quarterly documentaries.
Capacity building workshops
They also organised capacity building workshops for CSs, PTAs and SMCs, and also embarked on regular monitoring and follow-ups to achieve the desired results.
Stakeholders, including teachers, community leaders, CSs and members of the SMCs at the evaluation meeting expressed excitement about the success chalked up.
They assured Socioserve-Ghana and Rite FM of their unflinching support to ensure that the project was sustained to maintain or improve upon the schools’ performances.
Credit: GNA