Educationist says education must not be absolutely free

An educationist at the weekend called for the implementation of relatively free education in Ghana, instead of absolutely free education being advocated by political leaders in their campaigns.

Mr. Emmanuel Max-Voy, Director of New Happy Home Academy at Ashaiman, said that making education entirely free would lead to most parents making other things their priority, instead of educating their children.

He made the call during the graduation of 29 Junior High School students and 28 pre-school pupils of the Academy, on the theme: “Setting up good legacy by investing in quality education.”

The Director of the Academy said parents as stakeholders must be made to pay a token towards providing good quality education for their children.

Mr. Max-Voy stressed that parents had the responsibility of providing their children with good education, and they should not relegate such duty to government and teachers.

He asked: “if government is tasked with providing free text books, school uniforms, feeding, tuition, what would be the contribution of the parents towards building quality human resource for the country through education?”.

Mr. Max-Voy said that children in private basic schools were doing better academically and in extra curriculum activities because their parents and the schools ensured that they had small classroom sizes, friendly learning environment and the needed logistics.

He said most public basic schools are crowded as more than 60 students are put in one classroom due to limited logistics because parents wanted education to be absolutely free.

Mr. Max-Voy on the issue of providing free education up to the Senior High School level, said concentration must first be on the elimination of schools under trees, dilapidated school structures and overcrowded classrooms.

He expressed regret that the country was yet to fully achieve the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, and asked stakeholders to concentrate on properly implementing the policy.

Mrs. Barichisu Adams, Ashaiman Municipal Coordinator for Private Schools, called for the strengthening of practical teaching methods, to ensure that after graduation, “students do not become job seekers but rather job creators.”

He said education must improve the situation of beneficiaries morally, culturally, socially and politically.