The implementation of the free Senior High School (SHS) as promised by the New Patriotic Party administration continues to divide public opinion.
Notable persons in the National Democratic Congress have always argued that the implementation of the policy should be done steadily without a hastening it.
Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu and a former deputy minister of Education under the erstwhile NDC administration, Hon. Samuel Ablakwa, is on record to have said that the NDC, could have easily decided to make SHS free but were unable because "looking at the statistics that we had at the time, it wouldn’t have been feasible in terms of access because there weren’t enough SHS”.
It is on this tread of argument that the MP for Asante Akyem South and a member of the NPP, Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng has reacted that the lives of secondary school going children, can no longer be toyed with after the exit of the NDC.
He posited on ATV’s Asem Yi Di Ka show that “if in the past the NDC destroyed the lives of children, the NPP won’t do that.”
He emphatically stated that the new NPP administration has thought deeper about the free SHS policy before declaring their intent to roll it out in the 2017/2018 academic year onwards.
In a related development, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Attah, has dismissed suggestions that the Akufo-Addo led government would use Heritage Fund to finance the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
Source: ATV
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It will be totally okay if the poorest of the poorest are first to get the free SHS once they are qualified. This approach should be the main aim of the policy. Historically, when things are free in Ghana, there has not been equity in implementation to the extent it it bred further corruption at every and another upper layer of level making the first against corruption even more pervasive. Ithe is always the tendency that the well endowed schools get the freeness and the remote and mushroom schools say in the North and Volta get the rawest of deals. Mostly in the former of course low grade teachers, facilities, delayed supplies of stationery and equipment and so on. The question still remains that who is going to monitor that the poor get the most rather the richest getting everything. How are schools going to be classified? The cost has been provided in an illusive manner. But what rights do the headteachers or headmasters have to demand what is due them and in a timely manner? All these and more are the issues at stake. It is good to know that the Heritage Fund not going to be used. But what is the Heritage Fund by the way? Oil revenues will be stocked in a bank for future generations? How soon or further away is that sort of future generation. Currencies the world over depreciates, there is the almighty inflation and so on. So my question is what sense does a Heritage fund make in say half a generation of say 25 years when a $1million will not provide the values of goods and services that it would have in today's timeframe and so on and so forth. Should heritage fund be invested will it generate interest. These are two major issues that will pose a challenge to any government for a long time to come. Ghanaians have always lived in the whole 60 years and have been short changed by one political group after the other. Please let's pray always and do the right thing for the almighty to bless our natiin.
I hate to hearing people say there was no enough SHS building hence unable to start free SHS, as it about to start by NPP same people are now saying Mahamma have solidified the foundation for Nana Ado to start. Where's that foundation the 40 so called E block buildings? Wow so is it because of 40 building which most of them are sited across rivers and crocodile? Well Nana said he is going to put up new buildings at same time start it in September most of the E block buildings would be used for vocational and technical institutes Just keep quiet and see.
If we fail to use our heads rather than our hearts to decide on the free this, free that, we shall be putting the lives of future generation in great danger.
Please your picture is misleading;The above picture is not Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng but Kofi Asamoah of PPP