Address "Overwhelming" Challenges Of Free SHS And Make It Better - Minority
The Minority in Parliament has appealed to the government to address the challenges of the free Senior High School initiative and make it better.
According to them, the free SHS policy which is helping the country's educational policy will cripple if the challenges confronting it are overlooked by the government.
Speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia program, Member of Parliament for Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Clement Apaak, explained that they have visited some of the schools and realized that the challenges of the free SHS policy are overwhelming.
"Overcrowding in these schools we visited poses a major health risk to the students. Teachers in these schools we visited are also suffering because they do not have enough rest and it is having a toll on their health," he added.
He maintained that though the minority will present their findings of the Free SHS Policy and its challenges, the government should swallow its pride and arrogance and address these challenges to make the policy a better one
But government admits though there are challenges with the policy, the minority is blowing the issue out of proportion.
Deputy Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum, in reply said government acknowledges the “teething problems” related to infrastructure and other logistics, and is working to address them.
“Every new policy, like a baby, will have teething problems. But such problems are always temporary. So, it is with the Free SHS, and we acknowledge the challenges with infrastructure that has led to an interim introduction,” a speech read for him at the 13th Harmattan School of the University for Development Studies (UDS) said.
The Free SHS policy, he said, is here to stay and that it will “help ensure the sustainability and equal access to education by all persons in the country as well as relieve parents of heavy financial burden that has been compelling most parents to halt the education of their children who are the future leaders of the country”.
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