Cancel Free SHS policy — KOD

Media personality Kofi Okyere Darko (KOD) has described the government’s flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) policy as unsustainable.

Because of that, he has called on the government to scrap it entirely and create employment opportunities for parents to earn a decent income to pay for the fees of their children.

“Very worrying! I believe every child deserves to be educated, but I’m not a supporter of Free SHS based on the financial strength of our country. Parents have a responsibility towards their children, and if the government wants to support them, they should create an environment for parents to earn more to take care of their wards,” he advocated.

His comments follow the Deputy Finance Minister-designate, Abena Osei Asare, that the government needs to borrow more to keep Free SHS running.

“We [Government] need to continue with the Free SHS. We need to continue the road construction. We need to continue with the Ghana CARES. We need to continue with the infrastructure the people want to have. So, in this situation, what do you do? We try as much as possible to borrow amounts of money that will serve our interest,” Abena Osei Asare said.

Ms Osei Asare told Parliament’s Appointment committee when she appeared for vetting.

Her statement on the current situation of affairs does not sit well with KOD.

In a Facebook post, KOD asked the government to empower parents to be responsible rather than a borrowing spree to sponsor education.

“If we’re borrowing more to sustain free SHS, it means it’s not something we can sustain as a nation. Take us back if you ask me…. We need to work on a national agenda and stop party manifestos every 4 years. It takes us back. Can’t we have a 100-year plan where governments just come and go and execute developmental projects based on the established blueprint instead of manifestos?” he asked.

Free SHS policy

The Free SHS education policy in Ghana was a government initiative introduced in September 2017 under President Nana Akuffo-Addo.

The policy’s origination began as part of the presidential campaign in the build-up to the 2016 election and has become an essential part of Ghana’s educational system.

The policy’s core themes of access, equity and equality fulfil the United Nations modified Sustainable Development Goals, where member countries amalgamate those themes in their educational systems to certify adequate learning experiences for students.