Free SHS: Council Of Private Schools Appeals To NPP, NDC To Include Private Schools In Policy Plans

• The Ghana National Council of Private Schools has urged political parties to include private schools in their Free SHS review plans
• The National Democratic Congress flagbearer has promised to include available private schools in the free SHS coverage
• Private schools have suffered reduced enrollment because of the Free SHS policy, according to the council

The Ghana National Council of Private Schools has urged parties to plan towards including private schools in their Free SHS review plans.

Enoch Gyetuah, the National Executive Director of the council, said the policy's success depends on private schools.

According to the council, private schools have suffered reduced enrollment because of the Free SHS policy.

Public schools have also suffered from infrastructure constraints throughout the implementation of the policy.

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Gyetuah believes the government can leverage the infrastructure of private schools.

"We are in a country where government has partnered with most of the profit making ventures to advance a cause and it is not wrong for government to parner private education.”

"If we have some infrastrcutre there. There is no need for you to go and build a new one. You just have to partner schools who have buildings in place.”

He suggested a coupon system to enrol students for free in private schools.

Gyetuah also stressed that his council's call was non-partisan and aimed at the two leading parties as they prepare policies and promises ahead of the 2024 elections.

He spoke after private school heads hosted John Mahama, the NDC's flagbearer, who promised to include private schools in Free SHS.

Mahama also assured the association of private schools that an NDC government would prioritise education and bring together all stakeholders in the industry to review the entire education structure from the basic to the tertiary level.

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"We have made a similar call to the New Patriotic Party which I know they are also considering,” Gyetuah said.

"There is no way you can develop education without the involvement of private education in Ghana… the success of free SHS depends on the private schools.”

Mahama promises to fix problems with free SHS

Mahama has promised to fix the challenges with the free SHS if elected president in the 2024 elections.

The former president said the current administration had destroyed the flagship education and health policies with its poor implementation and corruption.

The NDC flagbearer for the 2024 polls said this in Kongo in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region as part of his campaign tour.

Free SHS is safe under the $3 billion IMF bailout

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that then-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta assured that the free SHS policy would not be affected under the $3 billion IMF programme.

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Ofori-Atta gave the assurance on Thursday, May 18, 2023, during a press conference organised by the IMF and the government of Ghana.

He said that the programme with the Bretton Woods institution protects the vulnerable in Ghanaian society.

Source: YEN.com.gh