Wesley Girls’ SHS Parents Association Calls For Review Free SHS Policy

The call for the review of the Free SHS policy has been awoken again as the Wesley Girls’ SHS Parents Association calls on the government to review the policy given the several challenges that the policy is confronted with.  The call for the review was made during the school’s 2024 Speech and Prize Giving Day.

Why Review Free SHS Policy Calls By The Wesley Girls’ SHS Parents Association

They called for the government to engage all stakeholders to review the policy. Some of the challenges the policy has brought about in public senior high schools have been identified by the Wesley Girls’ SHS Parents Association, including the following:

1. The overcrowded dormitories in the school have forced students to sleep on the floor.
2. Poor school infrastructure is worsened by the government’s insensitivity to the needs of schools and poorly managed interventions to improve such facilities.
3. Restrictions placed on the Parents Association have prevented them from contributing to the development of the schools in many areas, including infrastructural development.

At the celebration, the school’s head prefect and headmistress identified this as a major worry about the Free SHS policy.

Many well-meaning Ghanaians have applauded the boldness of the school’s head prefect and headmistress for speaking out as persons who have daily felt the negative impact of the poorly implemented Free SHS policy on students and academic work in general.

A shadow of doubt hangs over the prospect of policy change, even though these demands for action are pressing. Parliamentary Education Committee Deputy Ranking Member Dr. Clement Apaak has voiced his skepticism that committee members, especially those from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), will be willing to tackle the problems caused by the Free SHS programme. The unwillingness of NPP members to have serious conversations about reviewing policies was something he was unhappy about.

READ: Education Minister Promises to Distribute Over 1.4m Tablets to SHS Students by April

The PA argues that the Free SHS policy, which forbids parents from contributing financially to school construction initiatives, has worsened the already terrible infrastructure. Because of this limitation, the PA and the community are unable to fully address the urgent demands for infrastructure.

The PA brought attention to the contradictory situation at the recent speech and prize-giving day about how the government’s supposed concern for pupils really hinders rather than helps parental involvement and support. In highlighting the importance of the PA and the local community’s contributions to the school’s current infrastructure, they underlined the necessity for joint initiatives to address infrastructure issues at Wesley Girls SHS and other senior high schools nationwide.

READ: The fees for BECE and WASSCE under Free SHS are free

In a twist of arguments and policy choices, the opposition NDC has held the belief that there is a need to review the Free SHS Policy; however, the ruling NPP, which introduced and named the policy as such, thinks otherwise.

Source: Ghanaeducation.org