GES has published a standardized prospectus for incoming 2024 SHS students

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a standardized prospectus for Senior High and Technical Schools nationwide, known as the “National Prospectus”.

This document outlines the uniform requirements for all incoming first-year students. Schools are required to strictly adhere to the national prospectus and should not request any additional items beyond the official list.

This new approach eliminates the need for parents to wait for the Computerised School Selection and Placement process before purchasing supplies for their children.

The national prospectus is divided into three categories, each containing essential items and cleaning materials to facilitate shopping for parents. Category ‘A’ includes 27 basic items such as a hard body suitcase or trunk, chop box or hard plastic container, toiletries, beddings, school-specific footwear, underwear, cutlery, and educational materials like a mathematical set and scientific calculator, among others.

Category B, which focuses on cleaning materials, is further divided into three distinct groups. Students in group one must bring a pair of heavy-duty hand gloves, 5 liters of liquid soap, and one kilogram of washing powder.
Students in group two must purchase a small bleach, one dustpan, one long-handled broom, and one scrubbing brush.

Students in group three must purchase one standing mop with bucket, one duster, and one short broom.
Day students in Category ‘A’ must have a mathematical set, scientific calculator, plain sandals, plain sneakers, and a school bag.

For day students in Category ‘B’, the same three groupings for cleaning materials also apply. Please visit our website at www.graphic.com.gh for more information.

The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr. Eric Nkansah, outlined the rationale for grouping students during a briefing with the Daily Graphic.

He explained that, based on past experiences, the decision was made to categorize students into three groups for the procurement of necessary cleaning materials. This approach aims to ensure that all required items are provided for without burdening students with an extensive list of materials to purchase individually.

To facilitate the process, parents are advised to purchase all items, except for cleaning materials, while awaiting further instructions on which category their child falls under. This initiative aims to streamline the purchasing process before the release of the Computerised School Selection and Placement at the end of the week.

Dr. Nkansah reassured parents that the placement process would be smooth and urged parents to trust that all qualified candidates would secure a spot in a school with available vacancies. He emphasized the importance of the harmonized prospectus in eliminating unnecessary items and preventing schools from using them as a barrier to student enrollment.

He also reminded school heads that the harmonized prospectus supersedes any school-specific prospectuses and urged compliance. Any concerns or challenges should be reported to the relevant authorities, and Dr. Nkansah warned against individuals attempting to extort money for placement, emphasizing that the admission process is free and any infractions will be dealt with according to the law.