Optional Payment of Fees Under Free SHS Will Create Classism – NUGS President

The President of the National Union of Ghana Students, Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo, says optional payment of fees under free SHS will create classism. Giving parents the option to pay school fees for their wards under the Free Senior High School Program will create classism in schools.

Mr. Larbi-Ampofo was speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show where he advised that government shouldn’t try such an option.

He lamented the degree of classism that already characterizes the usual extra classes when a few parents are unable to afford the fees.

According to him, treatment of students will vary should the option be affected.

Optional Payment of Fees Under Free SHS Will Create Classism

“There’ll be classism. Now there’ll be a different way of treating those whose parents are paying and those whose parents are not paying. Even when I was in Secondary school, when teachers organize extra classes, we saw how teachers treat those who came and paid for their extra classes and those who did not come,” he said.

The Union President admitted that although the option is a “brilliant idea”, the country is not ready for it.

“It’s a brilliant idea but practically, this country is not ready for that. Let’s not even go there,”  he added.

He also warned that a resort to the option would “run this country into an apartheid system of a sort where people who pay for Free SHS are treated in a different way.”

The Free SHS program has been exposed to persistent criticism lately with certain individuals questioning the quality of human assets resulting from the policy.

Reports indicate a deficit in school infrastructure to accommodate the immense number of students under the program.

READ: University of Ghana Sets Record Straight Over Illegal Increment of Fees

Meanwhile, individuals and organizations have called on the government to review the policy in request to eliminate the enormous amounts of cash being channeled into the program.