Asantehene Calls for Reforms to Free SHS Policy
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the government to revisit the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, emphasizing the need for a national dialogue to address its shortcomings.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, Otumfuo acknowledged the policy’s importance but highlighted the challenges faced by many senior high schools, including overcrowded dormitories, lack of science and ICT labs, shortage of food, and insufficient school buses.
Otumfuo suggested a return to a mixed system of support, where families with the means to pay for their wards’ education are allowed to do so, while government funding focuses on brilliant but needy students. He emphasized the need for effective and sustainable implementation to ensure students benefit fully from the program.
The Asantehene also commended the government’s effort to cut waste in public spending to free up resources for stalled education projects. He stressed the importance of expanding STEM education to rural areas, offering students equal opportunities.
Expressing support for the Education Minister’s mission, Otumfuo added, “I will pray for him, that he presses on. Not in the short term but the long term so that we know this is the policy we made.”
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
