Some senior high schools are considering reducing their intake as part of preparations for the commencement of the four-year programme. The programme introduced by the Kufuor administration would see SHS students doing four years instead of the previous three years. Although a national forum is yet to be held in an attempt to review the new programme, Education Minister, Alex Tetteh-Enyo, has hinted that students who were admitted for the four-year programme would not be affected by the review. The threat of reduced intake by the SHSs comes amid fears the new programme could overstretch the few facilities at the schools. Kate Bannerman, headteacher of the Nungua Senior High School in Accra, told Joy News that an earlier discussion among heads of senior high schools had concluded that schools with adequate facilities could admit more students while those with facilities already stretched would have to reduce intake to make way for the fourth-year students. She however stated that the situation presents an opportunity for the less patronized schools like hers. Mr Tetteh-Enyo has described as political, the decision by the previous administration to introduce the four-year programme. The minister dropped the hint in an interview with the media and said that abolishing the four-year duration of the SHS and reverting to the earlier three-year programme would be one of the first things the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is likely to do in the educational sector. Mr Tetteh-Enyo said the four-year programme had been introduced by the previous administration when it had not put in place the needed textbooks, syllabi and infrastructure to handle it. He said moves to abolish the programme however would be preceded by an amendment to the Education Law which was passed by the Fourth Parliament in 2008. The first batch of four-year SHS students is expected to enter the fourth year in the 2010/11 academic year. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com