Politicised nature of Free SHS will hinder attempts by next government to review it – Kofi Asare

Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is the best government to review the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.

According to him, the policy being the flagship programme of the party and how it has been politicised means that if successive governments try to evaluate it to meet current demands, they will be accused of “spoiling the policy.”

Mr Asare urged the government to conduct a review of the policy promptly. This action would help the government earn favour among Ghanaians by demonstrating its commitment to improving the policy when it faced challenges.

He was speaking at the second edition of JoyNews’ Ghana Connect Townhall Meeting in the Ashanti region on March 26.

“I have always maintained that the best government to review the Senior High School policy is the current government. Because of the politicised nature of the policy, it becomes quite difficult for a new government to come and review it because it will simply be like you are going to spoil it,” he said.

He explained that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) understood this, which is why each time they commented on education, they always tiptoed around the idea of an extensive review.

 “If you looked at the approach and the recommendations being made by the NDC, they are not talking about any extensive review, they are only talking about ‘we will add private schools’, but the core issue of allowing those who have the capacity to pay something has been avoided.

“Because both parties appreciate that, and I also know that Ghanaians love their ‘free’ regardless of the ramifications. So, I believe that the current government is the best government to start the review.

“And that is why I am happy that in the January report of the IMF, our government committed to review the Free Senior High School,” he added.

Source: Myjoyonline.com