SHS Double Intake: "Policy Work Is Not Like Cantata . . .They're Jokers" - IMANI Boss Jabs NPP Gov't
“It’s so annoying; we are even tired of this people, ah! What they are doing is needless, and they know," Policy think tank, IMANI Africa boss vented his frustration and described as needless government’s decision to introduce double tracking system in Senior High Schools to accommodate the surge in students’ population.
Franklin Cudjoe also described as “cantata” some policies by the Nana Addo-led administration in Ghana’s education system.
“They will just wake up one day and go and talk to some professor and the professor will start talking on radio that we want to do multi-track. The following day, the ministry will then say ‘I think we have to do multi-track’. Look, policy work is not like cantata. They are jokers,” he said in an interview with NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’.
A total of 362,118 first-year students from public Senior High Schools across the country are currently benefiting from the government’s fee-free education policy since its inception - 117,692 are day students with 244,426 being boarders.
Based on last year’s enrollment, the government has projected enrollment figures for 2018 to stand at 472,730 against available seats of 290, 737 leaving a gap of 181, 993 to be created in order to accommodate the expected number of enrollment.
The double tracking system, according to the Ministry of Education will offer students more instructional and contact hours with teachers.
But, Franklin Cudjoe is totally against the policy – according to him, “It doesn’t make sense”.
He continued, “Why don’t you if you really insist on doing this . . . use a voucher system so that you give vouchers to parents up to a certain amount to choose which schools they [parents] want [their kids] to go to."
“Education is not like vaccination you give, you have to prepare the environment. So what? People go in and then some people sit at home and then what happens? Is it a shift system? At IMANI we are just fed up,” he added.
Franklin Cudjoe also threatened a demonstation against government if the policy is not reviewed.
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