A Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee has described as disrespectful the Education Ministry’s insistence on the December 4 reopening date for fresh Senior High School students despite the Speaker’s plea for a change.

In an interview on JoyNews Desk on Friday, December 1, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe said such disrespect must not be tolerated.

“For me, the refusal of the Ministry to listen to the Speaker is also disrespectful to the House,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament on Thursday, November 30 urged the Education Ministry to reconsider its decision for fresh students to report to school on Monday, December 4, 2023 which is barely a week after their placement. A good number of students are now picking prospectuses from the school’s enrolling them.

He also directed that the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum appears before the House to reverse the decision.

But the Education Ministry insists on the December 4 reopening date.

According to the Ministry’s spokesperson, Kwaku Kwarteng, the academic calendar was put out several weeks before now, therefore parents were supposed to make adequate preparations prior to the reopening.

He, however, added that “the first-year students who are unable to report on the first day will not automatically lose their slots.”

Responding to his assertions, Mr Nortsu-Kotoe questioned why the Ministry is in a hurry for first-year students to report to school on December 4 when they have about 108,000 placement issues to be resolved.

He argued that the students must not be overworked, while suggesting that the reopening date be shifted to January for the students to rest.

“If you’re saying that you have given a directive and there would be no change, why are you making it so difficult for parents and teachers to prepare for proper academic work?” he quizzed.

According to him, the House will impress on the Education Minister to change the date when he appears before Parliament on Monday.