The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has raised significant concerns over the government’s plan to introduce a Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill.
They are calling for a cautious approach and urging for comprehensive stakeholder consultations before the bill is laid before Parliament.
In a statement, GNAPS highlighted the exclusion of private schools from discussions on the proposed bill, despite their substantial contribution to Ghana’s education sector.
“GNAPS is worried because characteristic of how important decisions on education are handled in this country, private schools, which account for 49% of educational establishments and 33% of pre-tertiary enrolments in Ghana, have been side-lined in deliberations on the Bill.
“The exclusion of GNAPS, a major stakeholder, from consultations on this critical Bill undermines the collaborative spirit necessary for effective educational reforms. Inclusive dialogue is essential to ensure that any changes to the education system are beneficial and sustainable.
“Government ought to have learnt its lessons from the Free SHS debacle; how its failure to consult private schools before implementing the novel policy resulted in challenges that could have been averted – overcrowding resulting in Double Track System, feeding challenges, overstretched staff etc,” the statement read.
The association also expressed concerns over the lack of detailed information on the bill, particularly the controversial proposal to cancel the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
GNAPS stressed the importance of periodic external assessments in identifying learners’ strengths and weaknesses, which serves as a crucial benchmark for student performance after nine years of basic education.
The association further urged the government to learn from the challenges faced during the implementation of the Free SHS policy, such as overcrowding, the introduction of the Double Track System, and issues with feeding and staffing and ensure thorough consultations and assessments to address potential challenges with the new bill.
They also called on the Minister of Education to convene a series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including GNAPS, to discuss the proposed changes and assess their implications.
“Before the proposed Bill is sent to Parliament, GNAPS requests that the Minister of Education convenes series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including GNAPS, and conducts thorough assessments to understand the potential implications of cancelling BECE and extending SHS to six years. This will ensure that potential challenges to implementation of the Bill are identified and addressed,” GNAPS stated.
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