Chief executive officer of Educate Africa Institute Mr. William Boadi has called for the reviewing of the Free SHS policy to address its challenges.
Earlier today in an interview on Campex Exclusive, Mr. Boadi cited challenges such inadequate facilities, water and food accompanied with inadequate learned professional for the need to be reviewed rather than the government-suggested permanent legislative backing.
“Now, apart from the infrastructure deficit, food and water shortage, learner-teacher ratio is imbalanced. We are of the view that these challenges must be resolved [through reviewing] before we put the policy before parliament house for the permanent legislation process… it is not advisable to take it to the parliament house for legal binding.”
Mr. Boadi stated that despite the fact that the equity aspect of the policy has been met, the quality of the policy has been compromised; he further reiterated the need for the policy’s review to be able to harness its full purpose of establishment.
“… the story behind the SHS was equity, quality and access. Currently, the equity is really working; about 1.4 million Ghanaian children have gotten the opportunity to go to the secondary school level. But the issue here is the quality. We don’t just go to school, we go to school to acquire knowledge, skill and capacity. ”
“Now, looking at the history of our three SHS policy institutions, there is access, but equity and quality is not there. People, even those who are connected, manoeuvre their ways and get category A schools. While the policy came to reduce or take away the financial burden on children, if you are going [to SHS], you must go with pains…the policy needs to be reviewed, if not, it will not be useful at all.”
–
Story by: Atiah Eunice | univers.ug.edu.gh
