A 23-year-old student and an ex-convict, Abu Safianu Yahaya has been denied admission by three Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the country.

According to the aggregate (16) holder, the authorities of the schools, Awe Senior High School, Fumbisi Senior High School, and the Sandema Senior High School all in the Upper East Region refused to admit him because he is an ex-convict.

“All the schools I tried to get admission to asked me to go back to my former school for a recommendation letter before they can admit me. The Awe SHS headteacher after reading the recommendation from the Kumasi Central Prison where I wrote my BECE, told me unless I go to the Ghana Education Service head office in Accra he wouldn’t be in the position to admit me,” he told crimecheckghana.

The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) holder added that the headteacher at Fumbisi was willing to offer him admission but on second thought said, he would get into trouble if he enrolls him."

He is therefore calling on the government to help him gain admission into any of the three Senior High Schools that have refused to enroll him.

Yahaya said he was convicted by a Kumasi High Court for stealing.

He served a 12-year sentence at the Kumasi Central Prison after he and his accomplice snatched someone’s bag in Kumasi.

“I engaged in untoward behaviour for sometime before my conviction. Now, I have repented,” he stated

The ex-convict said he served four years of his term after his family members appealed his sentence following the death of his father.

This he said was because his presence was required to enable the family undertake a ritual for his deceased father.

“The appeal of my sentence cost GH₵6,000. The money was raised by one of my uncles. I am my father’s first male child so I was needed to be present to enable the family carry out the ritual,” he said.