GES introduces a national prospectus for SHS freshmen.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has introduced the first-ever harmonized prospectus for Senior High and Technical Schools in the country, known as the “National Prospectus.” This innovative initiative aims to provide clarity and eliminate any confusion regarding the requirements for incoming first-year students. Under this new arrangement, all schools are expected to comply with the national prospectus without adding any additional items beyond the official prescribed list. This development brings convenience to parents as they no longer have to wait for the rollout of the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) before shopping for their children.
The national prospectus is categorized into basic needs and cleaning materials, making it easier for parents to understand and prepare.
Category ‘A’
includes essential items such as suitcases or trunks, chop boxes or hard plastic containers, toiletries, beddings, school-specific footwear, undergarments, cutlery, and educational materials like mathematical sets and scientific calculators, among others.
Category ‘B’
Encompasses detergents, sanitary and cleaning materials including liquid soap, hand gloves, washing powder, bleach, brooms, mops, mop buckets, and scrubbing brushes.
In an exclusive interview, Dr. Eric Nkansah, the Director-General of the GES, explained that the introduction of the national prospectus aims to assist parents in purchasing the required items well in advance of the CSSPS release. This early preparation allows parents to buy the necessary items while awaiting placement, bringing them joy and reducing stress. Dr. Nkansah emphasized that the harmonized prospectus was necessary to eliminate unnecessary items and prevent schools from imposing barriers to timely student enrollment.
The Director-General advised schools not to admit students based on their ability to procure all the items, but he encouraged parents to try and obtain the items outlined in the prospectus as they have been reduced to the barest minimum.
Dr. Nkansah assured parents that the cost of the items in the prospectus is affordable for all, highlighting that the era where parents had to spend a fortune on prospectus items is now a thing of the past. He also appealed to the heads of senior high schools to exercise consideration when enforcing the prospectus requirements.
The national prospectus was developed by a committee consisting of representatives from the GES, Free SHS Secretariat, TVET Service, and the Conference of Heads of Government Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS).
The GES acknowledges the crucial role of CHASS in the operation of second-cycle schools and values their input in the national prospectus. Dr. Nkansah advised students to emboss or embroider their personal items with their names to prevent theft.
