Despite calls from educational bodies for a review of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, the government has revealed that measures are being taken to present a Free SHS bill to Parliament in the coming days.
The bill is aimed at regulating the Free SHS policy and ensuring its sustainability in the interest of citizens.
Earlier, stakeholders in the educational sector, like EduWatch, an education policy research organization, suggested that parents who opt for boarding facilities should cover the associated fees.
EduWatch also recommended that the free SHS policy should only focus on children from poor households, using data from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme as a reference point.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, clarified the information suggesting that the Free SHS bill seeks to make the policy more effective and sustainable, aligning with the aspirations outlined in Chapter 5 of the Constitution.
He explained that although these provisions are not legally enforceable, the government aims to justify them through legislation.
“I’m also able to report that the Education Minister will present the Free SHS Bill to Parliament. Chapter five of the Constitution provides some aspirational indicatives. Those are not justiciable, but once by a policy of the government, an aspiration as a message by the constitution is put into action then to make it justiciable, you enact.
“In other words, there are provisions in the constitution that you cannot enforce; you cannot claim the right to those provisions. The fact that they are there does not mean that you can apply to the court to enforce those rights; they are aspirational,” he noted.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has already approved Parent Associations (PAs) to raise funds in support of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
It will be recalled that in 2019, the government halted Parents Teachers Association (PTA) levies due to widespread complaints about high costs.
This led to the restructuring of associations into parent associations.
The newly released Guidelines Document for Parents’ Associations in All Pre-tertiary Schools, endorsed by the Ghana Education Service, recognizes the valuable contributions of parent associations to schools.
GES emphasizes that parent associations should function autonomously, independent of school management and staff.
While they are encouraged to explore various avenues to generate funds for school development, they are prohibited from levying any fees on students or pupils.