text: 03rd February 2015 MoE/PR
  The Ministry of Education has met Members of Parliament (MPs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) of beneficiary regions to kick start the phase two of the 200 Community Day Senior High Schools (CDSHSs) project in Accra.
  The actual construction work of the school buildings is expected to start in April this year to enable students to be enrolled in the September 2016 academic year.
  The meeting, which was attended by MPs, MMDCEs and their District Engineers was a preparatory briefing on the criteria for the selection of sites for the project.
  The Hon. Minister, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang advised the honorable members to ensure that the siting of lands for the project was done in the best interest of the children since the government would also ensure that the CDSHSs get what it takes to produce quality learning.
  She urged them to clear all misunderstanding in the ownership and usership of lands that would be sited for the project.
  The Hon Deputy Minister in-charge of Tertiary, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said, the MPs and MMDCEs were considered as key partners of the project, therefore their inclusion. He said without a strong partnership with key stakeholders, the project could not succeed.
  He said the Ministry as a technocrat have done a scientific and objective criteria in choosing beneficiary district and it is the duty of the MPs and MMDCEs to lead efforts in siting land with the help of chiefs who were custodians of the lands.
  He cautioned that the siting of the project should be devoid of personal or partisan interest since it is a national project.
  Hon. Ablakwa noted that only 60 per cent of JHS graduates are enrolled at the SHS level due to inadequate vacancies. Thus, the project is to ensure that majority of JHS graduates would have access to Senior High education.
  The Hon. Deputy Minister in-charge of Pre-Tertiary, Mr. Alex Kyeremeh, encouraged the MPs and MMDCEs to acquire lands which were free from ownership and usership problems.
  He impressed upon the Honourable members to collaborate with the prospective contractors of the project to ensure value for money.
  Mr. Aaron Asante, an environmental expert and Mr. Aruna Nelson, a procurement consultant briefed the participants on the criteria for selection of sites for the project. They discussed environmental and social consideration as well as responsibilities expected for the selection of the lands.