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President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to enhance the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy and not cancel it as being speculated.
He said the FSHS remained an important educational policy, which required improvement rather than cancelation.
“I, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, will not cancel the Free SHS programme. I am determined to make it better by improving its implementation,” he stated emphatically.
President Mahama gave the assurance in Accra yesterday, when he delivered his maiden State of the Nation Address following his dramatic comeback as the President.
This commitment is a welcome development, as the Free SHS programme, despite being a significant achievement, has room for improvement.
He set the record straight on the Free Senior High School programme, revealing that approximately 3.4 million students have benefited from the programme since its beginning.
“Also, students who have benefitted from the Free SHS since its inception are about 3.4 million. The figure of 5.1 million beneficiaries, as previously put out by the Akufo-Addo government, was an exaggerated and false narrative calculated to achieve political credit.”
By correcting this misinformation, President Mahama has demonstrated his commitment to transparency and accountability in the education sector.
In order to enhance the programme, Mahama has announced the restoration of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), which will enable parents and communities to participate in school administration.
“The Ministry of Education and GES will ensure that PTAs do not impose unbearable financial burdens on parents and students who cannot afford them.” He noted.
President Mahama has acknowledged the challenges posed by the double-track system and has vowed to eliminate it.
“The double-track system remains a challenge, and we are committed to eliminating it by accelerating school infrastructure expansion and completing stalled projects. To fund this, the Education and Finance Ministries are working to uncap the GETFund for secondary school projects,” he explained.
In fulfillment of his campaign promise, President Mahama has announced that his administration has commenced the enhancement of the secondary school feeding programme stating that, efforts are underway to decentralise food management
“Improving secondary school feeding is also a priority, with efforts to decentralise food management, strengthen procurement, and enhance store management capacity. Once completed, food procurement and management will be handed over to secondary school heads.”
By investing in infrastructure and resources, the President expressed commitment to provide uninterrupted education to all students, ensuring they receive quality instruction without interruptions.
This promise is a significant commitment to improving Ghana’s education system, which has faced challenges since the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy.
Moreover, the president also announced that the “No-Fee Stress Policy” for tertiary institutions would also be implemented with the goal of removing a significant obstacle to higher education in the country.
“This, government is introducing a no-fee stress policy to eliminate tertiary admission fees, which currently serve as a barrier to higher education for some students,” he indicated.
By eliminating tertiary admission fees, this initiative would level the playing field and provide equal access to tertiary education for all students, regardless of their financial background.
“This will be supported by an enhanced Student Loan Scheme (Student Loan Plus). The no-fee policy will also cover all Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) who gain admission to tertiary institutions,” the President emphasised.
BY RAYMOND APPIAH-AMPONSAH
