The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has demanded that the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy be reviewed and that parents contribute to the program’s costs in order to guarantee its viability and efficacy.
Following an appeal by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to the Ministry of Education to release long-overdue funding that are essential to the efficient functioning of SHSs as they get ready to reopen for the 2025 academic year, this proposal was made.
In a statement issued by CHASS National Secretary Primus Baro, the group cited earlier letters dated August 12, 2024, and September 20, 2024, along with promises made by the Education Minister in a Zoom meeting on December 18, 2024, none of which have been carried out.
CHASS emphasized that schools’ ability to operate is still hampered by unpaid arrears for necessities like utilities and perishable goods.
They emphasized that it would be difficult to reopen schools on January 3, 2025, without these monies, which would have an effect on student welfare, infrastructure upkeep, and the quality of instruction.
Patrick Danquah, Deputy Director of IFEST, emphasized on Channel OneTV the significance of reevaluating the Free SHS policy in order to successfully handle these issues.
“Free SHS needs to be reviewed so that they can relook at the element of taking part of the cost and allowing the parents who were handling the costs better to continue to handle it the way they did,” Danquah stated.
