Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, vehemently disagreed with requests to review the Free SHS policy in an interview on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 on the Citi Breakfast Show.
Dr. Adutwum noted that the policy has drawn criticism, but stressed that rather than a comprehensive review, it just needs to be improved in some areas.
During his national tour, former president John Dramani Mahama reaffirmed his pledge to reassess the program should he be elected in 2024.
Within the first 100 days of his administration, he suggested bringing together key players in the education field to examine the Free SHS policy as well as the larger field of education.
Education Minister Adutwum responded to inquiries about a possible review of Free SHS by saying that focused improvements rather than a review are required for the policy as it is.
He emphasized the significance of concentrating on teacher preparation programs to guarantee that they are equipped to teach effectively and, eventually, produce higher learning results.
“Anything that you do, there will be areas that need improvements. [On] improvements we can look to train teachers and make sure that teachers are well prepared to teach for better learning outcomes.”
In response to a query concerning the idea of parents covering the cost of boarding while day education is free, Dr. Adutwum gave a clear no, adding, “No…We just have to improve the learning outcomes and ensure that the investment is worth their while of Ghanaians so that they know that their taxpayers are being used to their benefit and we are bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Joseph Asare
