Former President John Dramani Mahama has renewed his call for stakeholder involvement in reviewing the Free Senior High School Policy in order to address the issues plaguing the policy and affecting educational quality.
Mr Mahama believes that a bursary system that targets the poorest families and households and also covers private senior high schools would help to address the policy’s financial and infrastructure challenges.
Former President John Dramani stated on Wednesday at the 8th Biennial National Delegate Conference of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) in Koforidua 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.
As a result, he reiterated his call for a national stakeholders engagement to review the Policy and bring on board private senior high schools to help address the policy’s financial and infrastructural challenges.
“The time has come for us to rise to the occasion and collectively agree as actors in the political and developmental space on the need to depoliticize issues of urgent priority in our country, such as education delivery…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 said.
“If you don’t get it right at the primary and basic levels, whatever you do at the secondary level is a waste of time,” the former President added. At the most fundamental level, you must lay a solid foundation.”
He stated that the Free SHS is here to stay, but the three pillars of education – access, affordability, and quality – must not be compromised. As a result, he emphasized the importance of involving private schools in the free SHS policy.
Source: starting.com.gh
