Junior high school BECE candidates must be familiar with senior high General Arts courses. This helps you understand how different course combinations, BECE requirements, and even the options you have after you graduate from high school are broken down.
Most junior high school teachers don’t talk much about these important topics, but if you want to get a good education, it’s a good idea to learn more about these topics ahead of time.
So in this article, we’ll examine the different General Arts courses you can take in senior high, the BECE requirements, and the tertiary programmes you can apply to after SHS with General Arts.
General Arts Courses in SHS
There are various general arts courses available in schools across Ghana and other African countries. These include geography, elective mathematics, sculpture, CRS, history, economics, and more. Students who wish to pursue these courses should enrol early as there are limited vacancies in SHS.
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The various General Arts courses or subjects offered in senior high schools in Ghana are listed below.
1. Elective Mathematics
Elective mathematics focuses on the use of graphs and symbols to communicate ideas, value discrimination, data analysis, and analogy reasoning. Senior High School Core Mathematics is supplemented by Senior High School Elective Mathematics when you choose to pursue general arts in SHS.
2. English Literature (General Arts Courses)
The study of international literature, the majority of which is written in the English language, is referred to as English literature. In general, the word “literature” refers to different kinds of written works, like plays, poems, novels, and nonfiction.
3. Twi
Twi is the study of the popular Ghanaian language, used by Akans in secondary schools as part of the general arts subjects. Students are taught mostly in Akuapem, Asante, or Fante Twi, depending on the school.
4. French
The goal of the French language as a subject under general arts is to teach senior high school students the fundamentals and foundations of the French language. This includes sentence construction, word meanings, conjugation, and writing in French.
5. Geography
Geography is the study of locations and how people interact with their environments. By studying geography, you can learn about the physical characteristics of the Earth’s surface and the various human societies that are found in my places by studying geography.
In order to understand where things are found, why they are there, and how they change over time, geographers try to understand their origins.
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6. Government
In senior high schools (SHS), students who are interested in government, study the institutions, practises, and behaviours of governments in Ghana and other countries in Africa.
You learn about the basics of government, the different parts of the government, and how the country works with the government at its centre.
7. Economics
The term “study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services” refers to economics. Economics is the study of how economies work and how economic agents act and interact with each other. This is also under general arts subjects (courses).
8. Christian Religion Studies
Christian Religious Studies (CRS) entails the knowledge and techniques needed to comprehend the overall context of how Christianity and Christian ideas developed. Additionally, CRS explains how the Bible relates to Christian traditions and how it is reflected in Christianity.
9. History
History is also a general arts subject because every aspect of human society is included in the study of history, which is the examination of how things have changed over time.
The advancements in politics, society, economy, science, technology, medicine, culture, intellect, religion and the military are all part of history. Historical processes contain intricate relationships between related components.
10. Elective Physics
Cosmology is the subject of physics which is part of both general arts and science subjects. A number of other sciences, including chemistry, oceanography, seismology, and astronomy, are also built on it (and can be applied to biology or medical science).
11. Elective ICT
Students studying information and communication technologies acquire the knowledge and abilities necessary to effectively apply, use, and manage technology while resolving issues that are particularly related to information and communication.
Aside from doing core ICT, students pursuing general arts are required to choose Elective ICT or other subjects as part of the subject or course combination process.
What is the courses combination in General Arts?
Course combinations are offered by senior high schools in Ghana and other west African countries. This means students have to choose between two or more courses for the given duration.
The Ghana Education Service creates senior high course combinations to give students multiple choices within the same programme. You might be assigned to a class that offers History, Government, Economics, and CRS, for instance, if you apply to study General Arts.
Other students might be assigned to a class that offers Geography, Elective Math, and Elective Physics. Even though all of these are General Arts courses, the two in question prepare students for different academic and career paths.
Can I Change My Course Combination in Senior High?
Unfortunately not; your senior high school course combination can’t be changed because the Ghana Education Service has already set it for all senior high schools in Ghana.
However, some schools offer unique pairings that can work best for you. Before choosing your ideal school for the computerised placement, you must verify the various course combinations.
Therefore, if you wish to change your course combination, then you need to enrol in another school that offers your desired general arts course combination.
Can I Change My Course from General Arts in SHS?
Yes of course. Maybe for one or a few reasons you want to change your SHS course for a better one. You only need to write to your assistant headmaster (academics), if you have one, or the headmaster of your school, outlining why you need to modify your senior high course.
If your academic records allow, you can be allowed to enrol in another course after being called before a school board to justify your choice.
Alternatively, if you are in your first year, you can change schools and navigate the admissions process to enrol in the new school and take your selected course.
However, you must apply for the exemption to change your course before the start of the new semester. Also, you might need to have good academic standing especially if you are changing schools.
What are the Entry Requirements for General Arts Courses in SHS?
If you wish to study general arts in senior high schools, then you must have passed your BECE with at least passing grades in subjects like English Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and other related subjects. Also, if you want to enrol in a category A school in Ghana, you have to get a better grade in the BECE.
Can I attend SHS if I failed the BECE?
This depends on the category of school you wish to enrol in. Category A to C schools will never accept you if you failed in any of the subjects attempted in the BECE.
If you did poorly in your BECE but you, however, wish to get into Senior High School, you will need to retake it. Some private institutions provide remedial classes for those who failed the BECE.
Summary of General Arts Courses
Junior high school BECE candidates must be familiar with senior high General Arts courses. So in this article, we have examined the different General Arts courses you can take in senior high, and the BECE requirements, for General Arts.
If you choose to study General Arts in senior high school, you have to investigate the courses and combinations provided by the school and how they will help your chosen career.
