Saturday Classes To Be Abolished In Ablekuma Constituency From Next Year

From next academic year Saturday classes for students in the Ablekuma constituency will be no more, that’s according to the Member of Parliament for the constituency Ebenezer Nartey. 

He announced this at a durbar with educational heads, teachers and students in both public and private schools in the constituency. 

According to the MP, all schools should be locked during the weekends. 

The decision according to him, is to allow students to have enough rest during the weekends while pushing teachers to give off their best during normal class hours.
 
Radio Ghana’s Doreen Ampofo reports.

Saturday classes have become a major component of the educational system in Ghana. 

After more than 45 hours of normal class hours and another 12 and half extra class lessons every week, students are forced to attend Saturday classes. 

The argument has been that the academic calendar is too short to complete the syllabus therefore some schools have made Saturday classes compulsory. In some schools students are punished or lashed for failing to attend these classes.
 
The MP for Ablekuma Central, Ebenezer Nartey, says such classes are unnecessary as it over burdens the students. 
He says from next academic year all students be it private or public are to be closed as Saturday classes for students in the constituency have been cancelled.
  
Other issues raised at the durbar include truancy by students and educational standards in the constituency.

Already the MP distributed 2,500 Mathematical sets to Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)  candidates. 

He said he is also seeking to introduce the MP's mock examinations next year to help prepare the students better for their BECE.

For some students this was welcome news, however some raised issue with a suggestion by the Member of Parliament to prevent truants from writing the BECE.

The durbar which was attended by headmasters, teachers and students from both private and Senior High Schools saw all stakeholders pledge to improving educational standards in the constituency.


GBC