Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has assured Ghanaians that Akufo-Addo has no intention to roll back on the free SHS programme.
Speaking to the media during a press briefing to outline measures taken by the government. Certainly, it is to address challenges facing the economy on Thursday, March 24. He said the vision of the President is to ensure that every Ghanaian benefit from quality and unrestricted education for the betterment of the country.
“President Akufo-Addo has no absolute intention to roll back any major policy like the Free Secondary education. He sees education as the best and enabling force for sustainable economic growth, transformation, and social mobility, and we will do more to improve on it for it to serve more and better our children,” he stated.
This is contrary to earlier suggestions by the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah that all 16 flagship programs of the government including the Free SHS were up for possible review after a recent cabinet meeting to proffer solutions to the economic hardships.
He said the government will roll out measures to ensure that we generate more internal funds to cushion the economy.
Concerns
Executive Director of Child Right International, Mr Bright Appiah, has urged the government to maintain its Free SHS programme despite some economic challenges in recent times.
He said the flagship programme has been of help to many who couldn’t have afforded education over the years.
Speaking on NEAT FM’s morning show, ‘Ghana Montie’, Mr Bright Appiah reiterated the benefits of the programme for the needy but brilliant children across the country.
“The statistics are there to show,” he said.
Head of the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly called Opanyin Agyekum, has called on the government to review its free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
The free SHS was implemented by the government to capture all Ghanaian school children in the education bracket and enhance quality education in the country.
Children from both rich and poor homes all equally benefit from the free SHS policy.
But Professor Kofi Agyekum feels this provision of mentioned free education for all” is exerting financial pressure on the government and further thinks it is somehow an inequality to have both rich and poor parents enjoy the free SHS.
To him, there are some rich families that can afford their children’s school fees, hence don’t have to benefit from the free SHS.
Opanyin Agyekum asserted that the free SHS should be for only the underprivileged or deprived families.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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