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Ursula Owusu Preaches Importance Of Free SHS Ahead Of Election: “My Mother Sold Charcoal”
Politics

Ursula Owusu Preaches Importance Of Free SHS Ahead Of Election: “My Mother Sold Charcoal”

by  Delali Adogla-Bessa 2 min read
  • Ursula Owusu-Ekuful downplayed criticisms of the beleaguered Free Senior High School policy
  • Owusu-Ekuful argued that the concerns raised about the programme by critics are unfounded
  • President Akufo-Addo started the Free Senior High School programme in 2017 as a campaign promise

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Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, has staunchly defended the Free Senior High School (SHS) initiative.

Speaking on Pure FM, Owusu-Ekuful argued that the concerns raised about the free education programme are unfounded.

Ursula Owusu, Free SHS, Education, Election, NPP, NDC
Communications and Digitalisation Minister Ursula Owusu is dismissing criticism of the free SHS policy. Source: Ursula Owusu
Source: Facebook

There have been calls for the programme to be reviewed because of infrastructure challenges, concerns over the quality of education and struggles to feed the students.

There are further concerns that the government is spending too much on the policy by not making education progressively free or targeted at needy persons.

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Owusu-Ekuful maintained that free secondary education remains fundamental to solving Ghana's challenges.

Drawing on her journey, the minister recounted her humble beginnings in a household where her single mother juggled multiple jobs, including selling charcoal, to support her children.

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"Without education, I wouldn't be a lawyer today. I wouldn't be in politics."
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The Free SHS journey

The Akufo-Addo administration started the free SHS programme in 2017 after making it one of his flagship campaign promises.

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

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

Africa Education Watch also reported that expenses by parents outweighed costs incurred by the government under Free SHS.

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

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

Government to commission 80 educational projects

YEN.com.gh reported that the Akufo-Addo administration is set to commission over 80 educational projects nationwide.

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The commissioning of these initiatives will be done on November 21, 2024, simultaneously across all 16 regions.

The Education Ministry said in a statement that the exercise is part of its efforts to improve Ghana's education quality.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.

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