Educationist and Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei has asked the government to stop making the Free Senior High School policy seem like a doctrine.
He said public policies are subject to critique, thus any independent assessments should be received in good faith as they will make the policy evolve and become better.
Speaking at the TV3 National Level Dialogue on the theme “Free SHS in Perspective: Problems, Progress and Prospects, on Wednesday, Prof. Adei mentioned that as a beneficiary of free education during the Dr. Nkrumah era, he believes the Free SSHS programme, instituted by President Akuffo- Addo is a very good policy with few problems that needs to be addressed. Hence, nobody should be seen as an enemy of any government or regime for critiquing the policy.
“The FSHS has come to stay and hence the challenges must be addressed. This is a good policy and when you implement it, there will be problems and those problems should be addressed.
“I anticipated that the Free Senior High School will encounter some problems because even in countries with free education like Kenya, they had challenges and they dealt with it,” he said.
According to the educationist, the Free Senior High School policy should not be wholly free. Government could pay for the tuition and infrastructure while those who can afford are allowed to pay for their wards.
He noted that even the average parent in Ghana could afford to pay a particular amount of money in support of this particular policy because no Ghanaian will want such a policy to be abolished.
“Tuition and infrastructure can be free but I think even the poorest parents can contribute to the peripherals. Let’s give the opportunity to people who can afford to help cater for the less privileged”.
He further added that no country which offers free senior high school education provides boarding facilities, not even in America, Britain or Namibia.
Professor Adei blamed the failure of senior high school students on the poor foundation they receive at the primary school level.
“The primary schools in Ghana are described by the World Bank as schooling without learning, while the average junior high school student from the public school is described as an illiterate,” he pointed out.
According to the educationist, another major problem that accounts for the failure of students is the poor management of schools, less supervision and accountability. To the professor, the public schools have no form of accountability.
Therefore, the government should consider reviewing the Free Senior High School Policy, because a significant number of Ghanaians would like to contribute to the policy to make it better so that no child is left behind.
By Clara Boadi Konadu