Education Ministry adds 139 TVET schools to free SHS programme

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has included 139 Technical and Vocational (TVET) schools in the popular free SHS programme, the National Coordinator for Computerized School Selection Placement System (CSSPS) has said.

In addition to the 47 schools already on the programme, the new included Technical and Vocational schools Mr Sasu Mensah said is aimed at making Technical and Vocational education accessible to more students in the country.

The CSSPS National Coordinator disclosed this speaking at the Pilot Training at Effiduase in the Eastern Region on the Computerized School Selection and Placement System for teachers and pupils in the New Juaben North Municipality.

He indicated that 10 districts have been selected in the country for the pilot training exercise to help resolve some of the many challenges confronting the selection of Senior High Schools during the school placement period after BECE.

The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme was introduced in September 2018 by the Akufo-Addo led government to ensure candidates who become successful at BECE continue their secondary education for free.

In a related development, the Deputy Education Minister in charge of TVET, Gifty Twum-Ampofo has said, students under Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) next year will write an examination conducted by WAEC.

She speaking to journalists said the WAEC examination slated next year for the Technical and Vocational students will also reduce cases of them struggling to get admission to various tertiary institutions apart from technical universities.

Mrs Gifty said the government was positioning TVET education as a project focus by improving the quality of training through a more demand-driven direction that would upgrade the skills set of both students and teachers.

“The importance of academic qualifications, together with the growth of university enrolment has made it very difficult for TVET students to enrol into regular university programmes, but we are willing to reverse it,” she stated.