Head teachers ordered to write exam questions on Chalkboards

The Ghana Education Service has asked head teachers of public schools across the country to go ahead and write end of term examination questions on Chalkboards.

This is the second time this year that teachers are being forced to write examination questions on Chalk boards. In April this year under similar circumstances, teachers wrote exam questions on chalkboards following government’s delay in releasing Capitation Grants for the 2018/19 academic year.

The move was criticised by a section of the public on social media but the GES in a statement said teachers are free to repeat the practice.

The situation according to teachers, has slowed academic activities as until recently, question papers were printed for all exams, including those who are being prepared for final examination.

Hitherto, pupils were charged a fee for printing of questions which was convenient for both teachers and pupils. But the GES, has this year directed that no fee be charged as part of enforcing the free education policy at the basic level.

Following this directive, teachers have been forced to write the 2018/19 third term examination on chalkboards.

The statement by the GES, also ordered teachers and head teachers who have taken monies from parents to conduct end of term exams to return them with immediate effect.

Parts of the statement by the Ghana Education Service read;

1. No penny should be collected from any Pupil or Parent as fees for the various set of Examinations.
2. Head teachers are at liberty to write Examination Questions on the Chalkboard.
3. Head teachers who have contracted Examination Consortiums should as a matter of urgency abrogate those contracts.
4. Monies collected from Pupils and Parents towards the writing of this term’s Exams should be returned to them with immediate effect. The Examination Units of GES across the country are to ensure that the monies reach Parents and report to the District Directors of Education.
5. The Examination Units of the various Districts should monitor the End of Year Examinations and report outcomes to their respective Directors of Education.

The West Municipal Director of Education has directed that the above information be strictly adhered to and should any Head teacher do otherwise, he, or she, would face the full rigors of the law.

Source: Starr online