Limited knowledge and guidance about different fields of study, career prospects, and programme requirements in the university can lead to uninformed decisions by high school leavers.
This affects their chances of being selected for programmes that connect to their future aspirations.
Campaign For Rural Development, Ghana ( CAMRUD GH) a local based NGO have thus embarked on an outreach to educate SHS students on available university programmes and requirements.
According to the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Over 300, 000 students enroll in 140 accredited Ghana’s tertiary institutions to pursue different academic programmes for undergraduate, graduate, certificate and diploma.
Due to inadequate awareness and mentorship, a number of such students struggle to meet requirements.
Some also end up pursuing inappropriate programmes that conflict with their future aspirations.
The project seeks to sensitize high school students on major requirements of university programmes.
The group engaged students of Bole Senior High School , in the Savannah Region.
One of the lead speakers at the programme ,a lecturer at ST . Vincent College of Education, Yendi, Mr Ebo Koomson, explained that the initiative will help facilitate students’ chances of admission into their preferred universities and academic programmes.
“We want to give education for all and confidence towards their WASSCE exams. We let them know their cut-off points, their ranges and choices for university, as well as colleges, our departments and our faculties.
‘We believe it’s not just the developed SHS schools that are supposed to know their cut-off points or have access to information to easily get into the university.
Developing SHS, less endowed SHS schools are also supposed to know how to get into the university so that we all get equal opportunities. We were here to impact knowledge and it was successful,” he told Yagbon News.
Chief Executive Officer of CAMRUD GH, Mr Alim Kuusari Ebong addressing the student said this is crucial as several career paths will become less lucrative or even outdated in a few years.
He pointed to the need for more young people to become innovators and create their own employment.
Mr Alim implored young people (students) to choose wisely, when deciding on a career, and conduct research before embarking on particular areas of study.
“We’re either going to be world producers or world consumers. Everybody, whether you are young or old, you will have to go out of your comfort zone and really take risks…You have to now have an unbridled determination to seek untraditional career paths without fear and you have to have the courage to think differently,” he said.
In doing so, he encouraged them to join forces with individuals, who will keep them grounded and on track, and create new ideas when necessary .
Senior Housemaster of BOSEC who was at the programme was optimistic the programme will motivate students to study harder.
“University admission is very competitive, and if you do not work hard you cannot get the required grades. And their education today emphasized it for us. There are programmes that are being run and are unknown, students have been exposed to those programmes”he noted.
“It was a privilege to have these speakers here. I have been with them from the start of the programme and it has given opportunity to students to directly interact and be exposed to more reasons and motivation on why they have to study and work to pass their exams,” he said.
Student beneficiaries acknowledged the importance of the initiative and expressed their gratitude.
Source: yagbonradioonline
