Free SHS is not under review, we’ve not even thought of it – Finance Minister
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has dispelled speculations about the possibility of the Free Senior High School policy being reviewed, stating that the government is not nursing such an idea.
Mr Ofori-Atta reiterated the government’s interest in human capital development while delivering the Mid-Year Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for the 2022 financial year today, July 25, 2022, in Parliament,
“It has been at the core of our national transformation efforts since 2017. We have invested GH¢5.3 billion to enable 1,261,495 Ghanaian children to access secondary education under the Free SHS programme at the end of 2021 to improve access to education. Out of the 571,892 registered JHS candidates, 555,353, representing 97.1 per cent, were placed into SHS this year.”
He said the government is not oblivious of the challenges in accessing and transporting food for students in SHS and is fixing them.
“In response, we have engaged stakeholders and devised a programme that ensures that schools will not be disrupted, and our students are well-fed. The government has also recently completed 17 additional projects including classroom blocks, dormitories, staff bungalows and libraries as part of the infrastructural expansion in Senior High Schools. To deal with the record increases in student numbers.”
He insisted that government would not compromise on its commitment to allowing everyone to be educated.
“From kindergarten to university, without the ability to pay to be a hindrance, free Secondary and TVET education is not under review. We will continue to fund and improve them,” he stated.
The Free SHS policy has been under scrutiny because of food supply challenges with schools in the Eastern Region recently threatening to shut down while CHASS has also recently aborted the participation of schools in extra-curricular programmes such as sports and the National Science and Maths Quiz.
As Ghana decided to seek help from the International Monetary Fund, many had expected that the Free SHS policy will be reviewed.
