Renowned Journalist and host of Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Kwami Sefa Kayi has asked the ruling administration to review its flagship programme, the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.
He believes after nearly 5 years of the program, government and stakeholders in the education sector need to deliberate on fine-tuning certain aspects.
To him, parents who are financially capable should be made to pay for the boarding fees and other expenses of their kids, while procuring school items including uniforms and past questions for final year Senior High School (SHS) students preparing to sit for WASSCE needs to be cut off.
According to him, "I don't understand why after 4 or 5 years of free SHS, it has not been reviewed . . . How can someone who attends Achimota (for instance) and parents stay at East Legon or airport be made not to pay school fees? How? We can make tuition free but charge those at boarding houses.
“All I'm asking is, it's been five years let's do a review . . . My opinion is; pay for tuition, exam fee, library fee etc but those who want boarding school must pay".
The Free SHS program was introduced by the Akufo-Addo government in 2017.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
To Kwame Sefa Kayi,well thought out! I have always thought out and cried for a review of FSHS before it's fifth year. But sadly I have not the platform like you do. Congratulations for your insight. Ghana has come too far in technology to adopt the socio-economic changer of means-testing that, it is high time that we adopted it for a graduated playing field: means-testing means: if you can pay, you must be asked to pay. If you have the means, pay. Period! And in all Regions too! Kwame Nkrumah adopted the 1961/2 plan for accelerated education based on means testing. Impoverished children should and must go school free in the northern regions, since they were a little left behind in development. The other regions were asked to pay for their kids fees. They paid; and they are still paying! What then would be wrong adopting such? Now, this is not the shoe is on the other foot business, the shoes are on both feet. Across the spectrum. That translates to free education. Now, how do we find those who can afford to pay? You and I can write a whole book about it.! But for now let us start from those documented in the system. Chief Directors to the least paid in the govt set up. Statutory and recurrent payments. Private companies etc. They all could be graded in terms affordability and asked to pay their fare share. This could be done. After all they paid before the FSHS system. The other payors among the pool of the means tested will evolve as we go along. Let's review that which can be...reviewed. [email protected]
IS A SHAME EVEN GUYANA HAS LONG HAVE FREE EDUCATION FOR THEIR PEOPLE SO MANY YEARS AGO. THIS FREE EDUCATION EDUCATION SHOULD STAY AND ALLOW EVERY GHANAIAN CHILD GO TO SCHOOL FOR FREE UP TO HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN NORTH AMERICA OUR HOME TAX GOES INTO PAYING FOR EDUCATION UP TO HIGH SCHOOL BUT UNIVERSITY IS NOT FREE EVER, EVER. BUT YOUR YEARLY TAX GOES TO EDUCATION FUNDING.UP TO HIGH SCHOOL.
SHOULD THIS E LEVY BILL GO THROUGH, TRUST ME GHANAIANS ARE SMARTER AND INTELLIGENT THAN THOSE WHO PARADED THEMSELVES TO BE COMPETENT. REST ASSURED, GHANAIANS WILL AVOID THIS OBNOXIOUS TAX VERY SIMPLE. UNDER THE PROPOSED ARTICLE/BOOK "THE PRINCIPLES OF AVOIDING THE E LEVY/MOMO" HOW TO AVOID PAYING E LEVY/ AVOIDING E LEVY METHODOLOGY. CURRENTLY IF YOU ARE SENDING GH 7000 FROM ACCRA TO YOUR BROTHER IN CAPE COAST FOR A PROJECT/BUSINESS /BUYING MEDICINE , UNDER THE EXISTING PROTOCOL, YOU WILL PAY GH10 EXTRA FOR THE TRANSFER AND ANOTHER TOP UP OF GH 10 FOR YOUR BROTHER COST OF HIS CASH OUT FROM HIS WALLET, IN ALL ADDITIONAL GH20 FOR TRANSACTION COST ON TRANSFERING GH7000. IF THE E LEVY IS PASSED, I WILL BE OBLIGED TO PAY ADDITIONAL 1.5% OF GH7000 WHICH SUMMED UP TO GH105 AS A MOMO TAX. MY TRANSACTIONAL COST WILL JUMPED FROM GH20 TO GH125. IN PERCENTAGE TERMS(125-20)/20 *100 = 525% JUMPED OR INCREMENT IN TRANSACTIONAL COST. THIS 525% INCREMENTAL COST CAN PAY FOR MY ENTIRE YEAR NORMAL CHARGES IF I WERE TO SEND THE SAME AMOUMT EVERY QUARTER IE GH20 *4= GH80 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN TAX AVOIDANCE AND TAX EVASION.THE LAW FROWNS ON THE LATTER. TO AVOID PAYING THE E LEVY, FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING STEPS. 1. JUST DEPOSIT THE MONEY ON YOUR WALLET WHICH IS FREE OR TRANSFER FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT TO YOUR WALLET 2.LET THE RECEPIENT/RECEIVER GO TO A KNOWN VENDOR WHILES YOU ARE ON CALL/VIDEO EG IN CAPE 3. SEND YOUR ID NO TO THE RECIPIENT 4. COMMUNICATE THE EXACT AMOUNT TO SEND 5. YOUR RECIPIENT WILL GIVE YOUR CELL NO TO THE MERCHANT FOR THE ALLOW CASH TO COMMENCE IN CAPE 6. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE SENDER IN ACCRA WILL INITIATE CASH OUT PROCESSES 7. THE PROMPT WILL COME TO THE SENDER IN ACCRA TO CONFIRM AND APPROVE. IN ALL, THE INITIAL COST OF TELCO CHARGES WILL BE HALFED FROM GH20 TO GH10(ONLY WITHRAWAL COST WILL BE INCURRED). SMARTLY, MOMO TAX OF GH105 WILL BECOME ZERO COST IN THE EQUATION. YOU THEN SIMPLY AVOID THE MOMO TAX, THE AGENT WILL GET HIS/HER TRANSACTION FEES. TO MAINTAIN GOOD BUSINESS WITH THE VENDOR, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO DASH/REWARD THE VENDOR WITH GH10 TIPS.
Review what?! Did Nkrumah review the free education up north which has thus far produced Presidents and Vice President and several MPs despite its challenges? To progress at least each Ghanaian basic education should be SHS from that stage one could decide to further at any age or time. The civil servants who are untouchable until they retire should be patriotic to block all the leakages to help finance the free SHS
Excellent point by Mr Sefa Kayi. NPP government should not be afraid to do a review. In the UK,