For many parents, today is the culmination of days of pain and stress as their wards head for school. The young boys and girls admitted for boarding houses of senior high schools are reporting today at their various schools across the country, as their day counterparts do so in the next few days.
It is a momentous period in the academic lives of the children, some of them leaving home for the first time.
We salute the efforts of the Ghana Education Service, especially the unit assigned the rather arduous task of school computer placements.
During these COVID-19 times and in the face of the rather high number of kids gaining admissions under the prevailing free SHS regime, both parents and the managers of the system have not been picnicking.
We understand the pressure children brought to bear upon their parents when their admission issue had not been addressed.
For others, their inability to gain admission into schools of their choices was cause for fretting.
Generally, in spite of the hiccups endured by some parents, the system has been wonderful, especially as all pupils who are qualified to advance to SHS would be afforded the opportunity and of course gratis.
We recognise the self-placement mechanism which enabled kids who were not placed to gain admission through it. School placement has never been so facilitated and orderly.
These are innovations for which the managers of the system deserve plaudits.
In view of the appreciated number of children gaining admissions, some observers of the school system have even opted for the return of a form of the double track system. This way, of course, the admission challenge would be addressed.
There is no doubt that government would have rather the double track system is not returned but for the high number of qualified pupils who must not be left out.
We wish to use this opportunity to salute the President and his team for the bold decision to reopen schools across the country.
We can only imagine what the situation would have been had the President listened to the toxic fears of partisan persons who opposed the decision.
The COVID-19 fears have generally been of no consequence. Of those afflicted by the virus in the school system, most of them have been cured.
Even as the freshers report at their various schools, the authorities must not relent in their application of the hygiene protocols. So far, they have done well but with a new crop of students taking up residence of the campuses, they must do even better.
Parents must counsel their wards, day and boarders, to be of good behaviour and to avoid bad companies on the campuses.
Constant engagements with the children are necessary if they must be shepherded on the good path.
The temptations are varied at school but with such counselling by both parents and teachers, students would steer clear of them.
We wish the newcomers into the high school system Godspeed for the next three years and beyond.