The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has issued a stern warning to the government, urging them to reconsider the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has issued a stern warning to the government, urging them to reconsider the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy if they cannot provide adequate resources, including food and accommodation, to students.
Speaking at Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo emphasized that it would be better to cancel the policy or restructure it to allow those who can afford it to pay, rather than subjecting students to hardships.
“If the students will go to school under the Free SHS policy and would not be fed due to food shortage; face accommodation challenges; and vacate after a few days in school, then it would be better to cancel the policy. Or it can be reviewed for those who can afford to pay for it,” Otumfuo said.
This is not the first time Otumfuo has expressed concerns about the Free SHS policy.
In the past, he has cautioned the government not to rely solely on the policy to win elections.
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, acknowledged the concerns raised by Otumfuo and assured him that the government is committed to addressing the problems.
“We are working on interventions to improve feeding, accommodation, and overall management of the policy to ensure its effectiveness,” Iddrisu said.
The Free SHS policy, introduced by the Akufo-Addo administration in 2017, aims to provide free secondary education to all Ghanaian students.
However, the policy has faced numerous challenges, including inadequate funding, overcrowding, and poor infrastructure.
Some experts have suggested introducing means-testing, where only students from low-income families benefit from full government support, while others contribute to the costs.
The government’s National Education Forum Planning Committee has received over 20,000 responses on the Free SHS policy, indicating a strong desire for reform.
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