President Akufo-Addo Hails Success of Free SHS Policy
Education

President Akufo-Addo Hails Success of Free SHS Policy

President Akufo-Addo has proudly declared that the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy implemented by his government has silenced its critics. In his address to Parliament during the 2024 State of the Nation Address, the President emphasized the positive impact of the policy on the education system. The President highlighted that many individuals have become the first in their families and communities to attend Senior High School, thanks to the Free SHS policy. He noted that the program has debunked myths and opened up opportunities for students who may not have had the chance to further their education due to financial constraints. President Akufo-Addo also expressed his belief that the Free SHS policy will contribute to the growth of the nation by producing more professionals in various fields. He emphasized the importance of solid foundational education from Kindergarten to Senior High School in shaping the future of the workforce. The President acknowledged the criticism faced by the Free SHS policy but asserted that its success speaks for itself. He called for continued efforts to improve the policy and ensure that it continues to benefit students across the country. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo affirmed his government’s commitment to education at all levels and expressed his pride in the positive outcomes of the Free SHS policy. He  further urged stakeholders to focus on enhancing the policy and its implementation for the betterment of the education sector in Ghana. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0256336062.

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Right now, the whole educational system is Basaaaa, we will go back to three term system—John Mahama John Dramani Mahama
Education

Right now, the whole educational system is Basaaaa, we will go back to three term system—John Mahama

Former President John Mahama has assured Ghanaians that he will not cancel the Free Senior High School (SHS) program initiated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. Speaking at a community engagement event in the Bolgatanga East District in the Upper East Region, Mr. Mahama stated that he plans to improve the program if elected in the 2024 elections. Addressing rumors that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would abolish the Free SHS program, Mr. Mahama clarified that his aim is to enhance the program for the benefit of all students. He acknowledged the current state of the program and stressed the importance of making improvements to ensure its success. “I am not going cancel FSHS. Am going to improve it so that we can get the full benefit of FSHS. We will work hard to abolish the double track, so that our children will all go to school at the same time and vacate at the same time”. “We will go back to a three-term system that is what we have been used to and that is what we are going back to. Right now, you can tell what kind of system they are running, the whole educational system is basaaaaaa” Meanwhile, one of the key changes proposed by Mr. Mahama is the decentralization of the school feeding program. Under his vision, school heads will have the authority to engage local food suppliers from their respective districts. This localized approach will not only improve the quality of meals but also contribute to the growth of local economies. Mr. Mahama emphasized that this announcement aligns with his broader agenda for educational reform. He intends to focus on addressing the challenges within the Free SHS program and implementing measures that will enhance its effectiveness. With this commitment, Mr. Mahama aims to reassure Ghanaians that his presidency would not undermine the progress made in the education sector but rather build upon it. Source: Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0256336062

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It is “critical” to review the free senior high school policy–ISSER
Education

It is “critical” to review the free senior high school policy–ISSER

The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has emphasized the importance of reviewing the free senior high school (SHS) policy in Ghana. According to ISSER’s analysis of the 2024 budget expenditure plans, a critical review of certain aspects of the free SHS system is necessary. ISSER has identified fiscal and quality challenges that should be addressed. The free SHS policy, introduced by the Akufo-Addo government in 2017, has led to increased enrollment across the country. However, the implementation of the policy has faced difficulties such as accommodation and logistical challenges, which have negatively affected the quality of education. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has also raised concerns about the comprehensive nature of the policy and questioned whether it could be more targeted towards the poor. Former President John Mahama has suggested that a review of the policy would be considered if he were to return to power, but the government has rejected this as an attempt to cancel the policy. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0256336062

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Without Mahama’s infrastructure FSHS would have been more disastrous —Joyce Bawa Mogtari Joyce Bawa Mogtari- Special Aide to John Dramani Mahama
Education, Opinion, Politics

Without Mahama’s infrastructure FSHS would have been more disastrous —Joyce Bawa Mogtari

Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Special Aide to former President John Mahama says, Free SHS would have been in limbo without the level of infrastructure provided by former President John Dramani Mahama. The Special Aide to the former President made the claim during an exclusive engagement with Apexnewsgh.com Responding briefly to the criticism that the E-Blocks which was an NDC and John Dramani Mahama’s initiative were constructed in the bushes, Mogtari described the criticism as propaganda. She said without the infrastructure initiated by former President Mahama, the Free SHS policy would have been more disastrous. “I drove passed one of the Senior High Schools and said to myself, look at all the propaganda out there that the Free Senior High Schools in the Upper East Region were in bushes. Drive around the country and see things for yourselves, all of those schools were within reach, more reach than when my father went to school walking from Kpembi for example, all the way to Tamale to go to school”. “It is a blessing to even add a structure of that kind, President Mahama’s records in terms of infrastructure be it Education or otherwise are not in doubt. Free SHS would have been worse off without the level of infrastructure we have. But the question all of us should be asking is going forward, what is the future of Senior High School beyond Free SHS?” Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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The Free SHS is not working well, we are going to make it better—John Dramani John Dramani Mahama
Education, Opinion, Politics

The Free SHS is not working well, we are going to make it better—John Dramani

Former President John Dramani Mahama has re-assured Ghanaians he is going to make one of the NPP flagship programme and Initiative Free Senior High School (FSHS) The former President who is currently touring the Upper East Region, gave the assurance in the Zebilla Constituency where he met with delegates ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary primaries on May 13. “The Free SHS is not working well, and when we give them ideas as to how to improve it” Mr. Mahama further said, he has made efforts to advise the government on what to do to improve the FSHS programme but unfortunately, they are not listening. “I advised them what to do and they don’t want to take it. I said, bring all the parents, students, teachers, and everybody together and let us think about how we can improve the Free SHS and then, they do propaganda with it and say, am going to come and abolish it. “We are going to come and make Free SHS better. As soon as we come, we are going to tackle all the abandoned school projects so that we can increase capacity in secondary because, we want by the time we leave office, every secondary school child, all our children will go to school at the same time and then vacate and come home at the same time. We want our children to go school to spend two to three months in school, not go for 4 weeks and come because of some traffic light system”. He pointed Speaking about School Feeding Programme, the former President gave an assurance that his next NDC government is going to improve the poor quality of food they currently give children at the Senior High School. “We are going to improve the feeding for the secondary school students. They have adopted the centralized feeding system and is not working because there were times when the food does not arrive and so the children don’t have food to eat. In the past, we used to give money to the schools and they procured their own food. So, we are going to re-introduced that they can procure their own food and give the children better food than they are giving now. Go to the senior High School and see the kind of food the children are eating, is very poor and so we are coming to improve that. Mr. Mahama Stressed Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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Johnson Ayine proposes an industrial attachment method for students under FSHS level during vacation across country.
Education, Politics

Johnson Ayine proposes an industrial attachment method for students under FSHS level during vacation across country.

Johnson Ayine proposes an industrial attachment method for students under FSHS level during vacation across the country. Johnson Ayine a Regional Communication Team member for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has proposed to the government to adopt an industrial attachment method for students under the Senior High Schools level during their vacation across the country.Mr. Ayine made the proposal when discussing the government flagship programme Free Senior High School (FSHS) Policy on ApexnewsGh.Com flagship Programme dubbed ‘SPEAKOUT UPPER EAST REGION’ on Monday, September 26, 2022. According to Mr. Ayine, “as a country, we have not been able to adopt the STERM policy and am happy this current Education Minister is adopting it”. “When we made this our educational reforms and move from middle school to Senior High Schools, those days we were learning technical skills, technical drawing, there were practical tools and equipment that was furnished every senior high school. So, from form 1, you will go theoretical and practical. The Agric students were doing the practicals because they were on some school farm. Making his suggestion, Mr. Ayine said: “This double track we are complaining about students staying at home for a very long time and what have you, we now have an emerging revolution of artisanship.He said: “When you get to some hinterlands and they have light, there is a wilder there, they have carpenters there, they have mason there, and can we do some industrial attachment to these Senior High School students? So that when they are on long vacation we know that students A and B are going to learn welding which can lead them to become wilder. So, if we are able to start the industrial attachment to that level because we have not been able to feed all the Senior High Schools with the necessary equipment and tools. We can do these simple attachments so that when the school gets home, he cannot find an excuse that he or she is traveling to Kumasi”. He stressed “So, let me make this proposal to the government for us to see how we can implement it”. Mr. Ayine proposed Source: Apexnewsgh.com For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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FSHS: If you want to destroy any nation, you don’t need to throw bombs, target the education system–John Paul Danka
Education, Politics

FSHS: If you want to destroy any nation, you don’t need to throw bombs, target the education system–John Paul Danka

A Regional Communication Team member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Paul Danka has said, “If you want to destroy any nation, you don’t need to throw bombs, you don’t need to cause war, target the education system and that ends it”. Mr. Danka made the pronouncement when discussing the government flagship programme of Free Senior High School (FSHS) Policy on ApexnewsGh.Com flagship Programme dubbed ‘SPEAKOUT UPPER EAST REGION’ on Monday, September 26, 2022 Giving some history about how the NDC government started the process, Mr. Danka said, in the 1992 constitution Article 25 (1b) the provision was made for the country to look at all forms of Secondary school education, the best way it could be affordable, accessible. He pointed out, that there was a need for then NDC government to start looking into the FSHS Policy in the constitution and later arrived at ‘Progressively Free Senior High School’ “1n 2015 thereabout my government and my president decided to look at the FSHS policy in the constitution. The Key word here was ‘Progressively Free Senior High School because we know our economy has issues and for that matter, if we really want to implement it holistically, we will have issues. So, we started with the assumption of most of the fees of these students which had to do with a little about 320,000 students. We absorb their fees for them and subsequently, we were looking for an additional 120, 000 Borden students we can absorb to see how progressively do what we can do that will not be a stress on the budget. So, that was the beginning of the Progressive Free Senior School”. Mr. Danka explained However, Mr. Danka noted that when it comes to policy, the NPP and NDC are like two doctors trying to cure a particular sickness, “NPP might decide use ‘quinine’ to treat malaria and we the NDC might decide to use ‘malafan’ and at the end of the day we looked at it from that angle of progressiveness and they came in and say, it is long overdue they want to implement it fully. So, that is how come we now have the full wholesale as FSHS. But if you looked at it progressively, almost every government did something as part of the introduction”. He stress According to the NDC Communicator, “Nobody is saying FSHS is not good, but the problem we are having here is that we cannot have those at the base level doing the implementation. They are always afraid of telling the policymakers that they have a problem or challenges with A, B or C and that is why we started talking about the review of FSHS as our position. There are others who even at some bigger platforms say John Mahama is going to cancel FSHS but we keep telling them they are wrong. Today are we not back into reviewing? What am doing with my brother, is it not reviewing? He quizzed “So, if is a national policy all that we are saying is that, accept that there is a challenge and then we can move on” Meanwhile, was also worried that if our schools begin to produce bad students, and they become nurses when we go to the hospital our lives will be in danger. “Today, you let any engineering student from the polytechnic or the University say that I have built a car my lecturer or my professor should come and test the car, none of them will come because they fear for their lives. He stated Source: Apexnewsgh.com For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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Education Ministry adds 139 Technical & Vocational Schools to Free SHS programme
Education

Education Ministry adds 139 Technical & Vocational Schools to Free SHS programme

The Ministry of Education has included 139 Technical and Vocational Schools into the Free Senior High School programme, in addition to the 47 already on it. This is aimed at expanding the scope of Technical and Vocational Training and making it more accessible for pupils to enrol. The National Coordinator for the Computerized School Selection Placement System, Mark Sasu Mensah, revealed this at a Pilot Training at Effiduase in the Eastern Region on the Computerized School Selection and Placement System, CSSPS for parents, teachers and pupils in the New Juaben North Municipality. He indicated that 10 districts have been selected in the country for the pilot training to help resolve some of the challenges that come with Senior High Schools Selection. The New Juaben North Municipal Education Director, Beverly Dansoa Bartels, was happy that the programme will enlighten the participants on how to select their SHS and advised parents to collaborate with the teachers of their children to know their capabilities before selecting schools. Some parents and pupils who participated in the training shared their views with GBC News, welcoming the opportunity offered them. In all, 35 schools in the Municipality participated in the programme. Statistics from WAEC show that 539,202 pupils from 18,000 and 13 schools have been registered to write this year’s BECE in November. —gbcghanaonline Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093

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