Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has called for a review of the Free SHS policy, suggesting those who can afford should pay, while government supports brilliant but needy students.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on the government to revisit the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, urging authorities to consider allowing families with the means to pay for their wards’ education while government support is directed at brilliant but needy students.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, Otumfuo acknowledged the importance of the policy but emphasized the need for a national dialogue to address its current shortcomings.
“This Free SHS we are talking about, although we have implemented it, if we have a dialogue and find out that it will result in students coming home every now and then because there is no food, then it is not fit for purpose,” he said.
The Asantehene expressed concern over the infrastructural and logistical challenges faced by many senior high schools, including overcrowded dormitories, lack of science and ICT labs, shortage of food, and insufficient school buses.
“Our dormitories are overcrowded, lack of science and ICT labs. Sometimes PTA makes contributions to support. Lack of school buses and shortage of food should all be looked at,” he noted.
While acknowledging the positive intention behind Free SHS, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasized the need for effective and sustainable implementation to ensure students benefit fully from the program.
“Let us implement it well so that students will stay in school and have enough to eat,” he urged.
He further suggested a return to a mixed system of support, where those who can afford to pay should be allowed to do so, while government funding focuses on students who truly need help.
“Those who can afford to pay, let’s have a second look at the policy, if someone can afford it, let’s allow them to pay. In the old times, when you have passed, the bursary would look for good but needy students and award them scholarship, and those who could afford to pay did so,” he advised.
The Asantehene also commended the government’s effort in attempting to cut waste in public spending to free up resources for stalled education projects.
“The building of E-Blocks and some schools have indeed stalled because of inadequate funding, but like the government is saying, by cutting down waste in government expenditure we can accumulate those moneys and continue such projects,” he stated.
On the issue of science and technology education, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II stressed the importance of expanding STEM education to rural areas to offer students equal opportunities.
“Looking at the STEM you spoke about, every village needs it. Some people in the villages, given the opportunity, would love to learn science. If we do all of these, there will be progress,” he said.
Expressing support for the Education Minister’s mission, the Asantehene added:
“I will pray for him, that he presses on. Not in the short term but the long term so that we know this is the policy we made.”
The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, a flagship initiative introduced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration in 2017, aims to eliminate cost barriers to secondary education for all Ghanaian students.
Under the policy, government covers tuition fees, admission fees, library fees, textbooks, boarding, and meals for students in public senior high schools.
While widely lauded for increasing enrollment and offering opportunities to thousands of students from low-income families, the program has also faced persistent criticisms over funding challenges, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and strained resources.
Source: 3news.com