General News of Wed, 10 Jan 20187

Free SHS: Government has not been fair to community day schools – Kofi Anokye

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Koans Building Solutions, Kofi Anokye has stated categorically that the Free Senior High School policy of the ruling NPP government with free boarding facility is not sustainable.

According to him, the decision to include boarding, lunch for day students and excluding private schools have placed a massive burden on the already few resources in the existing government schools.

In assessing the first year performance of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration, Mr. Anokye stated that making boarders pay for the boarding charges while government absorbs every charge that has to do with the impartation of knowledge would have forced many parents to opt for the day school and thereby limit the pressure on the few boarding facilities, thereby reducing the cost of funding the programme.

“Education should be a shared responsibility between parents and the state; taking away their parental involvement will not only breed irresponsible parents but also make children less dependent on their parents,” he stressed.

He added, “Science, Technology and Technical Education should be the new direction of the nation and this is only possible if the curriculum changes to reflect it”.

In Mr. Anokye’s assessment of the first term of the Akufo-Addo-led administration, he rated the implementation of the Free SHS 59%.