Angel Carbonu, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), has proposed that parents of senior high school students be required to pay for their children’s meals and lodging.
He thinks that parents should be held financially responsible for their children’s food and housing as part of a review of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program.
On Friday, January 10, 2025, he was interviewed by Okay FM, a radio station situated in Accra.
The head of the Graduate Teachers Association in Senior High Schools stated that, while Free SHS offers indisputable benefits, the current economic context renders the scheme unsustainable in its current form.
He comment follows a similar recommendation by headmasters, who also belong to an organization called the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), and have urged parents and guardians to help with nutrition issues in senior high schools.
Mr Carbonu cited an ongoing issue about food shortages at senior high schools, stating that headmasters had asked parents to provide extra food for their students before returning them to school.
He emphasized how students increasingly rely on pocket money and food provided by their families.
He attacked the government’s reliance on the National Food Buffer Stock Company for food supply, stating that it had resulted in delays in school distribution.
“The government has stopped headmasters from buying food directly. Instead, money is transferred to schools only after preliminary tasks like population inventory are completed, and this slows everything down,” he explained.
To address these issues, Mr Carbonu proposed sending pupils home temporarily while stakeholders met to consider solutions. He stressed the importance of appointing a Minister of Education to lead these discussions.
Ghana’s financial challenges
Describing Ghana as a “debt-ridden, distressed country,” Mr Carbonu said the nation lacks the resources to sustain subsidies like Free SHS in its current state.
He argued that taxes are primarily devoured by salaries, interest payments, and statutory responsibilities, leaving little room for new spending.
“Even after exams are written, the government struggles to pay for the marking of scripts. We are carrying something we are not financially capable of supporting,” he said.
Mr Carbonu restated NAGRAT’s previous proposal that Free SHS focus on tuition, with parents covering the costs of feeding and lodging.
“If you want your child to eat well and sleep comfortably, you should pay for it,” he said, adding that this would not mean reintroducing school fees but addressing specific boarding costs.
He proposed that the government identify financially challenged families and provide tailored bursaries to assist them rather than providing blanket subsidies.
This way, we can focus on those who truly need help and avoid overstretching the system,” he noted.
Mr Carbonu urged the administration to convene a national economic dialogue that would involve stakeholders in developing meaningful solutions to the current predicament. He emphasized the significance of being open about the country’s financial issues.
“Our inability to tell the truth is why we are in this situation. If Ghana’s finances improve, we can offer Free SHS to all, but for now, we must stop deceiving ourselves,” he said.
