University Entrance Exams to replace WASSCE 2020?

WASSCE to be replaced by university entrance exams if the COVID-19 pandemic is not dealt with early enough and the academic calendar gets off radial. This one of the options that should be on the table and not the one suggesting giving admission to students without WASSCE. That idea must not fly irrespective of the source.

There must be a reasonable way for students to justify entrance into universities and colleges. An ill-thought admission without any examination in the name of the COVID-19 pandemic will be a big disaster. Those who went to Secondary schools had to pass the common entrance examination to be admitted into the university in the past. Today matured applicants go through the same process. This means the universities have what it takes to do their own admission if the WASSCE is not held this year.

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Any action like this will be an extension of the Free SHS policy and free for all admission and we all know our universities cannot give all WASSCE final year students admission due to limited infrastructure.

Just like the Olympic games in Japan, many events have been postponed with some being delayed a year or more.

University entrance exams to replace WASSCE 2020 will not be a bad idea, however, the West Africa Examination Council also has the option of postponing the WASSCE 2020 until 2021 if it can not get students to take the exams in 2020. This can be done earlier than the original 2021 exams or both could be held together just as Ghana did when we had two batches of WASSCE final year students writing the exams in the same year.

It will be dangerous to admit students without any form of assessment. Before 2000, students who completed Secondary, A and O levels sat for entrance exams with the various universities.

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The Ministry of Education, GES the various universities and other tertiary institutions and all stakeholders are expected to come out with the way forward for the 2020 admissions criteria if the WASSCE 2020 is not held.

Universities will have a difficult time admitting students without any official criteria in the absence of the WASSCE which has served as the common basis for gaining admission into tertiary institutions.

Another option will be to allow the various universities to conduct their own internal WASSCE kind of exam for candidates, grade results just like the WAEC has been doing to help them Admit students the meet their requirements.

With COVID-19 not succumbing to efforts yet. it looks like the entrance examination will be the best option on the table.

The option of University entrance exams to replace WASSCE 2020 must also be examined critically against other logical options that meet common-sense criteria. Don’t make university education free for all like free SHS if not it will hunt our human resource quality in future.

No serious country and education sector does that and Ghana must not set a bad example in the wake of COVID-19. Let us see out the box thinking, planning and decision-making.

Source: Wisdom Hammond | Newsghana24