Akufo-Addo fulfils major campaign promise as free SHS starts today
More than eight years after it was touted by the New Patriotic Party
as a major policy decision that could propel the country’s development,
the free Senior High School programme will kick into action Monday as
schools across the country reopen.
About 400,000 students are expected to benefit from the education
policy that will exempt them from paying for tuition and other fees.
At the launch of the logo for the policy two weeks ago, the President said apart from free tuition there will be no fees collected for use of the library, computers, utilities etc.
There will also be a free hot meal for day students as well.
“Free SHS will also cover agricultural, vocational and technical
institutions at the high school level. I also want to state clearly
again that we have a well-thought out plan that involves the building of
new public senior high schools and cluster public senior high schools,”
the President said recently.
When President Nana Akufo-Addo launches of the programme at the West
African Senior High School (WASS) in Accra on Tuesday, September 12,
2017, it will be a fulfilment of his long held campaign promise as far
back as the 2008 elections.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration which
won elections in 2008 rolled out what it called the progressively free
Senior High School education in 2014.
However, the NPP's free SHS promise gathered momentum again in the
2016 elections despite an attempt by the previous NDC government to tout
the 2014 policy as a better option.
Having won the elections in 2016, the Akufo-Addo government said it
will not compromise on implementing the flagship policy despite a number
of criticisms -- some from within his government.
The President, at any given opportunity, never fails to mention the
policy and his obsession to execute it through his “vibrant and
energetic” Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
The President is expected to provide further details on policy during
the launch programme when he launches the policy on September 12.
The debate over the source of funding for the free SHS program remains contentious.
Senior Minister, Yaw Osarfo Maafo has said the government would use
money from the Heritage Fund to fund the policy, but this has been
heavily criticised. Critics say the Heritage fund was meant to be
reserved for the use by future generations.
However, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta subsequently announced that
contrary to Mr. Osafo Maafo’s claims, the program will be funded with
the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA). He said it will cost government
GH¢400 million to implement the programme for just the 2017/2018
academic year.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okdujeto Ablakwa,
is convinced the design of the programme will work against quality
education.
"It is not sustainable, especially under the current circumstances.
If they want to just for political expediency [implement it] quality
will have to suffer," Mr Ablakwa said recently.
Currently, some schools are yet to receive funding for the
implementation of the policy in spite of assurances by the government it
will reflect in their accounts last Friday, September 8, 2017.
Joy News checks reveal that the heads of the schools, who have been
constantly monitoring bank details of their institutions, are yet to
receive the said amounts.
Credit: myjoyonline
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