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Policy think tank, IMANI Ghana is proposing government introduces a ‘coupon system’ where every Ghanaian child that passes his/her Basic Education Certificate Examination would be given as a license to claim for fees they would pay at their choice of Senior High School (SHS).

This, IMANI Ghana believes, is the surest way to effectively run the Free SHS policy. The suggestion follows claims by the Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) that they have been sidelined in the policy’s implementation.

The Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil told 3FM News interview, the call by CHOPSS is legitimate. “We think that ultimately the Free SHS arrangement should become a coupon system so that whatever government is paying per a child, that child can take it.

“If, say, it’s 3000 cedis per term, that child can take it in a form of a coupon and go to a private school which is charging, for instance, 5000 cedis per term and then they (the child’s parents) top up,” he said.

Kofi Bentil said they “think that is where we should end so that every Ghanaian child will have the freedom of choice and not be limited in choosing a public school by all means.” President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, September 13, launched the Free SHS policy.

The policy is expected to have all first year students, in the various public senior high schools across the country, attend school for free without having to pay any fees.