CHASS calls for review of transfer policy

03-27-08
Page 55

THE Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) is advocating a review of the Ghana Education Service (GES) transfer policy in senior high schools.
The policy stipulates that only second-year students can be transferred.
According to the CHASS , transfers should cover second and third year students now that the senior high school programme is for four years.
The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Mr Samuel Ofori-Agyei, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Accra.
A reminder on the policy guidelines on student transfers, withdrawal or dismissal signed by the Director of Secondary Education at the Ghana Education Service (GES), said although student transfer was not encouraged, there were a number of procedures through which that could be done.
“Parents must search for a school that is willing to offer midstream admission to the child,” it said, adding that the head of the school must also “issue an assurance letter to the parents”.
It explained that such a parent’s application letter must give tangible reasons for the transfer, provide photocopies of the student’s school reports for the last two terms, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) result slip and clearance letter from the head of the present school, indicating that there were no outstanding bills and debts, among other things.
The letter, dated August 29, 2007, noted that transfers were only possible when students were moving from one public senior high school to another.
It also said that no student on transfer should be admitted into the final year in another school while second year students who left their school should be made to repeat the second year.
“A student who leaves a private school for public school should be made to repeat senior high school form one. This means that the student should purchase a re-entry form, complete and submit it for processing through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS),” the letter said.