Free SHS Bill To Be Presented To Parliament: "It Becomes Mandatory For Governments To Implement"

• The government is set to present the Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill to Parliament to protect the future of the policy
• Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the goal was to make the policy more effective and sustainable
• In 2017, President Akufo-Addo started the Free Senior High School programme after making it a campaign promise

The government plans to present the Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill to Parliament, which would bind future governments to the policy.

At a briefing on Tuesday, June 11, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the goal was to make the policy more effective and sustainable.

The passed bill would also make it mandatory for successive governments to implement the policy, Afenyo-Markin added.

"Unless it is repealed, no government would have the right to say, I am not going to enforce Free SHS because now it is law, so if you fail, a citizen can apply to the court as his bona fide and the court can exact justice in that citizen's favor."

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In 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo started the Free Senior High School programme after making it a campaign promise.

The policy has been plagued with growing pains and concerns with the quality of education despite increased enrollment.

Parents are also still incurring significant costs to send their wards to school despite the promise of free education.

Africa Education Watch revealed that expenses by parents outweigh the costs incurred by the government under Free SHS.

The education think tank found that the government is spending GH¢2,385 on the wards while the parents are spending GH¢4,000.

The challenges with the policy have led to calls for more consultation and reviews of the policy.

If elected president in the 2024 elections, former President John Mahama promised to fix the challenges with the free SHS.

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The former president said the current administration has destroyed the flagship education policy with its poor implementation.

Bawumia to involve PTAs in free SHS feeding programme

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Mahamudu Bawumia, proposed including parents in the feeding programme of the free SHS policy.

He said his proposal would allow parents to play integral roles in nourishing their wards at school.

These include monitoring foods distributed at schools and the quality and quantity of foods served to their wards.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh