Free SHS: Research & Rebuild Int’l commends government but warns of indiscipline

Research and Rebuild International, a civil society organisation operating in the country has praised the decision by President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s led government to implement its much publicized free SHS programme across the country beginning next summer. At its executive council meeting held at the weekend, it observed that the good intention of the government cannot go without commendation, stressing this will not be successful if consensus is not reached at the various fronts in the implementation process.

Speaking on behalf the organisation, the country director Chris Jasper Senyeabor noted the programme when started will drastically reduce the financial burdens on parents and guardians who will now have the opportunity to invest their scarce funds which hitherto would have been expended on their wards’ education at the senior high level, for growth and poverty reduction culminating in general development of the people.

The think tank organisation which has as one of its objects to contributing to the country’s governance issues also observed that the programme when rolled out eventually will increase enrolment at the senior high level and bring about empowerment of the masses for accelerated development of the country since education has been seen as one of the key cornerstones of development in our world today.

Again, the advocacy organisation maintained that Ghanaians must offer constructive criticisms so as not to hinder the implementation of the free for all eligible candidates to benefit from the instructions of the country’s constitution. It however, fears for a smooth take off and running of the programme and demands from the central government to ensure all the necessary resources are in place and will be in place for this enormous investment and therefore calls on the government to come clear on source of funding to diffuse the unnecessary skepticism going on in the media.

The human service organisation with an affiliation in the United States, takes this opportunity to draw government’s attention to the possibility of the well thought programme breeding indiscipline in the system, as every ‘free thing’ can easily become ‘cheap thing’ and finally becomes expensive or costly to handle and control. The organisation however, believes that government will be guided by workable and established benchmark scores and guidelines in the attainment of the programme’s goals.

The country director confirms the preparedness of the organisation to continue to monitor the situation and offer suitable guidance to the policy makers in the coming days and throughout the implementation starting with a release of a communiqué to elaborate our viewpoints on the way forward within the next few days.