The Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah, has asked the government to be cautious about any plans to modify the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Appiah stressed that the Free SHS programme was designed to eliminate financial barriers to secondary education and promote inclusivity.
Acknowledging that there have been challenges, he noted that the benefits cannot be underrated and must be safeguarded.
“The stakeholders are many, and if there is the need for engagement, we must bring all the professions that matter. It is not about tough speakers but people with the know-how on education, feeding, accommodation, among others.
“We can engage parents to know behavioural issues of students and health workers, for instance, to know when to put in place what medical measures,” he said.
He emphasised that management has become the biggest bane of the social intervention policy.
In this regard, Mr. Appiah appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, convene a collaborative dialogue with stakeholders to address these challenges.
“A comprehensive management system to put in place a mechanism to develop good learning outcomes, a menu chart, among others, should be the focus of the modification so we run the programme effectively.
“We should not destroy the policy or do anything that will undermine it because it has really helped despite the issues. We must be interested in sustaining it,” he stated.
The Free SHS policy was introduced by the Akufo-Addo-led administration in 2017 but faced criticism over logistical challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, lack of teaching materials, and overcrowding in public schools.
Mr. Appiah’s remarks come amidst calls for reviews and proposals for parents to share in feeding and accommodation costs.
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