Angel Carbonu, President of NAGRAT, suggests that parents of senior high school students should pay for their feeding and accommodation. Per GNAT p
Angel Carbonu, President of NAGRAT, suggests that parents of senior high school students should pay for their feeding and accommodation.
Per GNAT president Carbonu, the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy ought to be reviewed, and making parents pay for feeding and accommodation is one of the things to consider under the review.
Speaking in a radio interview with Accra-based Okay FM, the president said “It is the view and position of their association that while Free SHS has undeniable benefits, the current economic climate makes the program unsustainable in its present form,” said Angel.
Undeniably, the Free SHS policy has benefits that no one can measure. This is a policy that needs enough money to sustain it, and per the current economic climate, the president thinks changes need to take place in the policy to ensure its smooth running.
“The government has stopped headmasters from buying food directly. Instead, money is transferred to schools only after preliminary tasks such as population inventory are completed, and this slows everything down,” he explained.
“Even after exams are written, the government struggles to pay for the marking of scripts. We are carrying something we are not financially capable of supporting,” he said.
“If you want your child to eat well and sleep comfortably, you should pay for it,” he said, adding that this would not mean reintroducing school fees but addressing specific boarding costs.
“Our inability to tell the truth is why we are in this situation. If Ghana’s finances improve, we can offer Free SHS to all, but for now, we must stop deceiving ourselves,” Angel Carbonu concluded.
Headmasters of the various senior high schools warned the government to close down schools until arrangements are made to supply the student’s food. Rumours say schools are struggling to feed the students.
The Free SHS has been a completely fantastic policy and could probably be the best policy the country has been enjoying in recent years.
However, it needs serious addressing as Angel Carbonu is saying.
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