Former president John Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated the call for stakeholder engagement to review the Free Senior High School Policy to address the challenges bedevilling the policy and affecting the quality of education.
According to Mr Mahama, a Bursary system that targets the poorest families and households, which also covers private senior High Schools would help to address the financial and infrastructural challenges of the policy.
Addressing the 8th Biennial National delegates conference of Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) ongoing in Koforidua on Wednesday, former President John Dramani stated that the current implementation module of the Free SHS policy is unsustainable and lowering the quality and standard of education at the Secondary education level.
He, therefore, reiterated his call for a national stakeholders engagement for the Policy to be reviewed, and bring onboard private senior High schools to help address the financial and infrastructural challenges bedevilling the policy.
“The time is now for us to rise to the occasion and collectively agree as actors in the political and developmental space on the need to depoliticise issues of urgent priority such as education delivery in our country…what is the use of education if it does not have the quality to give the learner a chance and opportunity in life.” the former President stated.
The former President added “If you don’t get it right at the primary and basic level, whatever you do at the secondary level is a wasted effort. You need to build a strong foundation at the basic level.”
He said the Free SHS has come to stay but the three pillars of education must not be compromised – access, affordability and quality. He, therefore, emphasized the need to involve private schools in the free SHS policy.
Source: Starr
