Contrary to general expectation of reduced financial burden on Ghanaian parents as a result of the implementation of government’s flagship programme, the free Senior High School (SHS) policy, the reverse is the situation, a research report has disclosed.
Parents whose children are benefiting from the policy have expressed concerns about incurring extra expenditures on their wards as though the policy was not free.
A survey conducted by a tink tank and research based organization, YAFO Institute on the unintended consequences of the free SHS policy on household poverty revealed that most parents, 21 percent spend a lot of money providing essentials needs to their children who are expected to be benefiting from the initiative.
The report revealed that parents incur extra cost on extra classes, accommodation, long stay of children in the house due to the double track and feeding of their wards as a result of poor feeding.
The Free SHS policy beneficiary parents claimed that the initiative has resulted in their wards receiving substandard education whiles exposing the children to teenage pregnancy.
According to the research sample size, respondents comprises 69 percent of parents with one child, 27 percent with two children and 4 percent with three children respectively benefiting from the flagship free SHS policy.
The report indicates that, 62 percent of parents say they were unable to save as a result of the policy whiles only 38 percent of parents were able to save averagely Ghc 13.00 per month.
The findings states that, 21 percent of parents say they incur financial burden, 14 claimed their wards stay long at home due to the double track system, 11 percent stated that their children are fed poorly whiles, 6 percent say their children were exposed to teenage pregnancy.
However, 41 percent of parents believe the policy was helpful whiles 58 percent expressed their opposition to the double track system. All these factors parents claim have negatively impacted their household savings.
On how to make the free SHS policy more useful, 22 percent of parents request for more infrastructure to prevent the current double track, 6 percent urged de-politisation of the policy, 14 percent called for more resource allocation to the policy whiles 14 percent called for the total cancellation of the policy.
YAFO Institute revealed these when it presented its findings during a forum that discussed reforms needed to make the Free SHS Policy more sustainable.
President of the YAFO Institute, Nathaniel Dwamena proposed among others a decentralized scholarship system where headmasters help identify and recommend those who should benefit free SHS.
He also recommended public-private partnership to allow the involvement of private schools to participate in educating children with their infrastructure which are becoming empty as a result of movement of students to public schools.
With regards the importance and the timing of the research findings, Mr Dwamena explained that citizens should have access to accurate information and data to make informed decisions as the 2024 general elections approaches.
“The study focuses on beneficiaries’ experiences, rather than political affiliations. The YAFO Institute’s research aims to spark intellectual discussions and policy reforms, prioritizing results over intentions”, he said.
Mr Dwamena urged the need for the public to separate emotions from intellectual works.
On the methodology employed, YAFO Institute says the research sampled a total of 130 parents and eight (8) private schools across the country. These includes Northern Belt comprising Upper West and Northern regions, Middle Belt comprising Ashanti and Bono East regions and the Southern Belt comprising Greater Accra and Central regions.
Participants who attended the dialogue session decry government’s lack of planning which has negatively impacted the policy.
This they say has distracted academic calendar with parents not knowing how plan extra curriculum activities for their wards during vacation whiles denying them the time to concentrate on their jobs due to double track which does not keep students in school at a time.
The data from the survey provides a useful information for expert analysis, evaluation for action.
According to the discussants, the call by 14 percent of respondents for the cancellation of the free SHS policy should be a wakeup call to government to urgently include private schools to take off the burden from the public schools.
Some also proposed the need to improve the needs of schools especially day school systems across the country to enable children study within their jurisdictions.
A Senior Researcher at the YAFO Institute, Justice G. Kankpeyeng presented the findings.
The dialogue was aimed at stimulating intellectual discussion on the gains and challenges facing the free SHS policy whiles providing a platform for stakeholders to propose more sustainable ways of implementing the programme.
The Free SHS Policy Reform Dialogue was on the theme: “Reforming Free SHS: Addressing Unintended Consequences and Household Poverty in Ghana”.
By Christian Kpesese || ghananewsonline.com.gh