A teacher group calling itself Progressive Teachers and Youth Alliance (PROTOYA) has commended government on its successful implementation of the infamous Free Senior High School Policy.
According to the group, it congratulates the President and his government’s efforts and prudent step to roll out the policy on Free Senior High School(SHS) education as they promised Ghanaians during 2016 campaign season.
“We welcome this idea as a pro-poor programme that would go a long way to ensure that most of our young people have access to at least senior high education level” it said.
In as much the group commended the government ,it also called for a deeper collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure a successful implementation.
“The act of collecting school fees alone at Senior High School is one daunting task which most of the time create problems for headmasters, Parent’s and the students as well”.the group emphasized.
The group believed that, free Senior High School will reduce the illiteracy rate of the populace and will strengthen national cohesion since students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds will be accessing Senior High School on the same financial footage .
The policy the group belelieved will be giving the needy but brilliant students the opportunity to attend the first class schools in the country with the rich, and also students who would have sat at home due to financial constraints will all be in school .
According to PROTOYA,Free Senior High School though a constitutional provisions, it takes a well committed, focused ,visionary ,bold ,competent and fearless government to implement such a huge poverty reduction policy in the midst of the doubts and confusion surrounding the implementation of the policy.
The group quited Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution on Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms, Clause 25 (1) states that *all persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full*of that right.
“Clause 1 (a) states that basic education shall be free, compulsory and available to all, while clause (b) also states that secondary education in its different forms, including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education”
The issue of sustainability has become very paramount in discussing the policy, PROTOYA therefore believe government has put enough and appropriate measures in place to ensure the program stands the test of time.
Source:EducationGhana.net