A former Deputy Education Minister says the Akufo-Addo government's flagship Free senior high school (SHS) policy will not stand the test of time.
Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa says the Akufo-Addo government cannot find the money to continue supporting the programme which makes it unsustainable.
“What is clear to me is that government is going to struggle to find the money. For an adequate and proper implementation of Free SHS, you would need ¢600 million a term,” the Member of Parliament for North Tongu said.
According to him, the government got the budgetary calculations wrong and quoted a different figure of what the actual cost of the policy will be. “They got the numbers wrong and we are not the only ones [Minority] saying that as the Ghana National Coalition on Education and the likes of Professor Oduro at the University of Cape Coast, have all said the same thing.
He said the numbers are not adding up and the government will struggle to find the funding for its number one campaign policy. Mr Okudzeto’s comment comes on the heels of the cry from heads of the SHSs that they are yet to receive funds to start the policy next week.
In some few days, new entrants to the Senior High School will enjoy tuition and other amenities free of charge; in fulfilment of a long held campaign promise by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) made as far back as the 2008 elections.
The promise gathered momentum in the 2016 elections despite an attempt by the previous National Democratic Congress' (NDC) government to implement the policy.
Having won the elections, the Nana Akufo-Addo government says it will not compromise on implementing the flagship policy despite a number of criticisms some of which came from within the government in power. The president, at any given opportunity never fails to mention the policy and his obsession to execute it through his “vibrant and energetic” Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
During one of such programmes- the launch of a logo for the free education policy- President Akufo Addo said the government is determined to sustain the policy.
But speaking on JoyNews on the MultiTV channel Wednesday, Mr Okudzeto said any attempt to proceed with the programme in its current form will only compromise the quality of the education in the country. “The policy is not sustainable especially under the current circumstances; if they want to do so because of political expediency, quality will suffer.
"Government will not be able to sustain the Science Resource Centers as well as the renovation programme which was started by the John Mahama government, which ensured that teachers are recruited,” the former Deputy Minister said. He pointed out to a vacancy for 17,000 teachers for the SHS who the previous administration got financial clearance for yet to be recruited.
Mr Okudzeto also blamed current problems with the computerized school selection and placement system on government’s replacement of the competent core staff at the secretariat.
“It has been very chaotic and messy and it is clear the focus was on propaganda, razzmatazz, launch a logo and ambassador when really [they] should have been working," he said.
Suggesting ways to fix the system, he said some of the experienced hands at the Ghana Education Service (GES) who were sacked must be engaged.
He claims there has been a massive reshuffling at GES especially with those in charge of secondary education which is not serving the interest of the Service.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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BRAVOOO! You guys have spoke my mind, so no need to comment again. What I'll add is: "Where there is a WILL; there is a WAY"! FREE SHS WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME...INSHA ALLAHU! As of yesterday, I was NDC but today, I am switching Sides...I am joining a party (NPP) with a vision.
Wizard
Why is it not sustainable?Why?Characters like Okudjeto who had never worked in their lives and used to sleep in his mother's garage is now a rich man; has been able to fix his buck teeth and owns many filling stations. Once the ***barred word*** has been blocked ,once the national treasury that was leaking like a sieve has been fixed ,why is free SHS not sustainable And why would a duffos like Okudjeto be able to do the right calculations of the cost of the scheme when the originators themselves would get it wrong .Ghanaians let us pray for the president so he will fulfil his dream for Ghana.There will be a time when the ndc will talk and nobody will listen.
Let me show this muuumu how the free shs will work. First if corruption is banished from Ghana so that somebody like you who without any work experience but because of politics had so much money so that millions of money can be stolen from your car booth with the authorities looking on without asking the necessary questions where you got the money. When we banish sole sourcing of inflated projects to get value for money. When Nana Addo can promise Ghanaians that all stolen monies can be retrieved from politicians. When Wayome's 51m cedis is retrieved. When the EC is made to refund all the bogus contracts. When SADA and GYEDA ceases to be a channel to siphon state monies to individual pockets( Youth in bicycle ridding, Nkonfem to Burkina Faso etc.). When oil monies are properly accounted for then the free shs is practicable. We live in a country where a few people who can go to radio stations to do propaganda are enjoying leaving the masses below the poverty line.We should appreciate the President in his efforts even if he takes the boarding and lodging,we parents are ready to cater for the uniforms and the rest after all we buy clothing and books for our wards when they were in JHS. Half a loaf they say is better than none.
I feel so ashamed for these NDC guys.Any initiative by the NPP you hear them saying it's not feasible. Ghanaians please let's all reject them in any future elections because they are simply not good for us.Look at their eight wasted years in power.No social intervention was initiatiated by the NDC government yet they negatively and devilishly condemned every social interventions program by the NPP. The one they attempted like SADA and GYIDA were engulfed with dirty and filthy corruption. So NDC cannot be positive for ones.That's why there is so much corruption in all their tenures.NPP channel all the nations resources into proper used and yanom NDC channel into their picket.
GHANAIANS ARE NOT PROUD OF THEIR OWN, IF IT WAS AN IMF CONDITIONALITY WE WOULD HAVE HURRIDILY IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE AN EXTERNAL FORCE OR A WHITE MAN WAS ASKING TO DO SO. IS THIS KWAME NKRUMAH CALLED IT AS BLACKMAN BEING ACPABLE OF MANAGING HIS OWN AFFAIRS, NA LIE.BLACKMAN IS AN EMPITOMY OF HATRED,COVERTEOUSNESS,ANGER,SELFISHNESS AND ALL THE VICES OF THE FRESH. INCLUDING KWAKU BOAHEN, ABLAKWA,ATO FORSON, HARRUNA IDIRRUSU. FREE SHS WILL SUCCEEED AND SHALL STAND THE TEST OF TIME TIL THY KINGDOM COME. IN JESUS NAME
There he goes again claiming NDC started but now that NPP is "continuing"it will not stand the test of time.There is no chaos with the computer placement system now candidates are being asked to choose a school they prefer if they fail to get placed in the schools they chose earlier.This is more democratic than before.Prof Oduro is a dye in he wool NDC.Ask anyone who was at UCC between 1994-1996.When he came back for his postgraduate course.He could not find his voice to talk on issues on education when his darling party NDC was in power and messing up.In the three regions in the north free secondary has been going since independence no one has questioned the quality of students who came fro that system.Who are those so called experienced staff at the cpss and education service who have been replaced.They are all NDC appointees;if you leave then there they will sabotage the government.It is good Napo has yanked them off.NDC is panicking seeing the successful roll out of the free shs.They are so dazed by the sheer audacity of Nana and the NPP administration implementing what they the NDC said is not possible.They are in so much state of unbelief that they continue to give conflicting responses:Ablakwa claims NDC started free shs so they praise should be given to Mahama;Murtala says free shs is not practicable,Halidu says Mahama's 123 schools he built opened the way for NPP to implement free shs.NDC which is which?The program will be rolled out successfully,it will be sustainable and it will succeed.If indeed there is vacancy for 17,000 teachers at the secondary level all well and good they will be recruited,the science resource centers will be upgraded,unlike Mahama,Nana will do rather turn so existing shs into model schools to rival the existing grade A schools so they will be evenly spread out the country and all the brouhaha of not getting my school of choice will be a thing of the past.Bravo Nana,Bravo NPP
SOME OF US WANDER WHAT IS MADE OF US AS A GHANAIAN, IN ONE BREATHE ABLAKWA WAS HEARD SAYING MAHAMA INVENTED FREE SHS IN ANOTHER BREATHE IT IS NOT FEASIBLE AND CAN NOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME. HOW DID GOD ALMIGHTY CREATE US?,WHY ARE WE SO WICKED TO OUR VERY SELF?. BEFORE NANA ADDO CAN'T BE A PRESIDENT. TODAY HE IS AND NDC INCLUDING ABLAKWA TRYING WAY POSSIBLE TO DISCREDIT EVERY POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. ABLAKWA AND NDC MUST KNOW THAT GHANAIANS HAVE BOUGHT EVERY POLICY OF THE NPP GOVERNMENT AND ARE PRAYING ERNESTLY FOR THEM TO COME TO FRUITION, NO AMOUNT AND I TELL YOU ABLAKWA NO AMOUNT TO YOUR DIVERSIONAL TACTICS WILL SUCCEED SO EITHER YOU COME ALONG AND BE LEFT BEHIND.SOME OF US STRUGGLED BEFORE COMPLETING SECONDARY SCHOOL IN EARLY 90s, AND WE THANK GOD FOR THIS LOUDABLE INITIATIVE. LONG LIVE GHANA LONG LIVE NANA ADDO AND NPP
YOU SEE HOW NEGATIVE YOU ARE, CALLING YOURSELF HONOURABLE TWEAAAAAA. ARE YOU NOT THE ONE CLAIMING THAT THE NDC STARTED THE POLICY?NOW SAYING ISN'T SUSTAINABLE, DOUBLE STANDARD.