Ghana: NPP’s free SHS will collapse secondary education – Okudzeto

 

Ghana/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: Pulse

Resumen: El ex ministro de Educación a cargo de la educación terciaria, Samuel Ablakwa Okudzeto, ha dicho que el programa de educación gratuita del gobierno colapsará la educación secundaria en el país. Dijo que la financiación para el programa no es adecuada y que muchas de las escuelas de segundo ciclo carecen de infraestructura básica. Hablando en Asempa FM a mediados de la tarde del programa político el viernes, el MP de Tongu Norte dijo muy pronto, los padres preferirán las escuelas secundarias privadas a las públicas.

The former Minister of Education in charge of tertiary education, Samuel Ablakwa Okudzeto, has said the free education programme of the government will collapse secondary education in the country.

He said funding for the programme is not adequate and that many of the second cycle schools lack basic infrastructure.

Speaking on Asempa FM mid-afternoon political show Friday, the North Tongu MP said very soon, parents will prefer private secondary schools to the public ones.

“With this wrong implementation, with this wrong thought out implementation of free SHS, we are going to collapse the quality of secondary education and very soon when we take what is happening at the basic level, the private secondary schools will be preferred to the public secondary schools. And that will be a sad sad day for secondary education.

According to him: “There is a report that says we should begin to target rather than this wholistic approach in providing free education. I think this is the time to look at those studies dispassionately and objectively because I think it is a very sensible argument.”

“Instead of the government would target the vulnerable, and I have said that are we sure that the wards of members of parliament, ministers of state, the governor of the central bank, managing directors, top chief executives, all the middle class and all of that, are we sure their children need free education,” he quizzed.

The government has announced that the free SHS programme will start in September 2017 with first year students.

It has also announced as part of the policy that 30 percent admission into elite schools will be reserved for students in public schools.

And on the funding, president Nana Akufo-Addo has said Ghana’s oil revenue will be used to fund the Free Senior High School programme.

“Are we sure they would be proud that government is paying fees for their children. Meanwhile, at this same time, we have people in the second year and the third year who are in the vulnerable category and run the risk that they can drop out of school.

He accused the government of making continuing students worse off by starting the programme with only first year students.”

According to him, the Mahama administration provided support for all secondary school students and that the support has been withdrawn.

Fuente: http://www.pulse.com.gh/campus/education-in-ghana-npp-s-free-shs-will-collapse-secondary-education-okudzeto-id7173521.html