The Nana Akufo-Addo-led government’s flagship Free Senior High School policy was rushed through, ace satirist and TV talk show host, Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM) has said, suggesting that it could have been properly planned for a year or two before implementation.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government implemented the Free SHS policy in September 2017. It allowed about 90,000 students who would not have had the chance to go to school, to do so. It covers the full fees of students who attend public Senior High Schools.
In the next academic year, the number shot up to 181,000.
Due to the increase in enrolment, the government introduced the double-track system to accommodate all the students.
The SHS double-track system is similar to the academic calendar used in the universities. With this system, each track will be in school for specific days for each semester and go on vacation and come back for the second semester. While the first track is in school, the second track will be on vacation and vice-versa.
Critics of the government, including former President John Dramani Mahama have said the policy will compromise the quality of education. He has, thus, promised to review the entire policy if he gets the opportunity to become president again.
Speaking on Class FM on Wednesday, 23 January 2018, KSM said although the Free SHS policy is a novel idea, it was implemented in a rush.
He said: “The whole idea or agenda behind free education is a novel one, it is needed. We need to get a certain aspect of the generation really educated, get them to think and I think the SHS level is where we can grab people and shape their minds.
“So, I’m just saying, overall, the idea of being able to educate this group of people freely is a novel one but I think the question is: are we ready? One can say: ‘Well, when are we going to be ready, let’s jump in and just take it from there’, but, I would have rather wished more planning had gone into it. It could have taken another year or two.
“Let’s plan and execute and do it well. Right now, I have a feeling it was rushed. I could be very wrong but this is my opinion. I just think that it was rushed. Many people may be benefitting from it but very soon, the next stream of students will be coming on board, and are we going to bring more additional tracks? It is something that’s needed but it’s something that needs time to be implemented and done very well. My general impression is that it seems rushed”.
Source: classfmonline.com
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You would've accused the for not honoring promise of delivering free SHS,if it was not rushed.You people not the only knowledgeable in this country.y3br3mo
rushed or not rushed, cooked or uncooked we dey like am that. thank you for adding your o(p)nion to it for us. it will now taste better
If all the misappropriated money under NDC were properly directed to the right course, free SHS should have started 10 years ago.
Hello mr KSM I think you just made your point, your point you're making should be in line with CANADA and AMERICA , because you have been here before, in CANADA, when grade 6,7,8,9 class is full they have a special 40ft containers that they use for those who did not get chance to be in the main builden, also if your parent move from Brampton to any city, bring your child from any country, once you landed in CANADA, GERMANY, FRANCE, BELGIUM ,USA and HOLLAND your child start school the next week, your parent have to register you very fast to get to the main builden, please Creativity comes from free maid, what we need to do is ,everybody need to help bring it up to about 90% but not to kill it, people work hard to make it work in all this country, your father is a teacher, teaching is a voluntring work, your father work hard to educate people, I think if your father was a live he will be with the teachers telling us to be very careful about NAM 1 , ANAS , R 5 PYRAM and others, but not Kennedy Agyapong , even kennedy is telling us to be very careful we still go and do it and when any bad thing happen we point at him, you should have be doing what ANAS is doing and do it better, thank you.
RUSHED OR NOT THE JOURNEY HAS STARTED AND OVER TIME KNOTTY POINTS WILL BE TIGHTENED. THE PROBLEM OF KSM AND IS LIKE IS THAT THEIR IDEAS WILL FOREVER BE ON THE DRAWING BOARD AND WILL NEVER SEE LIGHT. AS A DETERMINED NATION, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN SUCCEED IS TO PROGRESS WHILES CORRECTING OUR MISTAKES.WE CANNOT WAIT FOR THE KSM'S AND MAHAMAS. BRAVO NANA ADDO. WE ARE WITH YOU.
Hahahahahaha. What is your beef hear. Are you paying on behalf of government? Have you accessed the benefits of the free SHS program to parents, nation etc. I hate to hear such comments from old men like you. What time would be appropriate? Do you know where the money being used to finance free SHS would have gone? Do you know the numbers enrolled? Do you know school buildings being built to support this policy in the schools? Just mind your concert business and pack somewhere
I taught after the huge enrollment rise of students in the second yr, this development should ring a bell in the ears of Ghanaians that the state has failed many more children before the free SHS introduction. Please don't sit in the comfort of your ACs and good cars and debunk this policy of government. Just come or visit the villages and see how family men of orphans are praising the government for this initiative. Don't say the time is tomorrow, THE TIME IS NOW AND NOW.
Planning is not like being a clown. Vacation classes has been going on since time immemorial. Currently even Basic School children attend vacation classes. Accra Academy, Aquinas, Merries have been running vacation classes from the early 70's
When the rich and privileged speak without $£nse, it breaks my heart. KSM, Free SHS rushed? When or how should it have been implemented so that the very poor in the society were not left out? So that the very poor but brilliant children could also get the chance of attending the top secondary schools? When UK started the NHS 70 years ago to offer free healthcare for all at the point of delivery, there were challenges but they stuck to their guns and the system has thrived. UK started free education in the late 1800's, people kicked against it and now up until university, you pay nowt for education in the UK. Please use your platform to promote something positive wai! the nay sayers in Ghana are our downfall.
KSM, your father was rich so he sent you and your siblings abroad to study, out of the Ghanaian tax-payers money. Now population of school-going children has increased tremendously, and you want most of them to stay at home to rot, for the rest of their lives. If you don't like Free SHS, send your children abroad or to private schools in Ghana. If people had not sacrificed to build this nation, where would you be by now? In the history of every nation, some people make sacrifices to ensure development. Most present-day Ghanaians find it difficult to even sacrifice for their children. For the country? Forget about it.