Free SHS is the best social and economic intervention policy ever – Yaw Ankamah

The free senior high school policy is one of the best social and economic intervention policies that openly affect both parents and their wards in senior high school. This realisation is reached on the backdrop of the policy’s role in redeeming parents from their economic and financial burden.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Suncity Radio in Sunyani on the effect of introducing the free senior high school policy on the economic and social lives of parents and students respectively, the Bono Regional Director for the Department of Children, Mr. George Yaw Ankamah called on the critics of free SHS to welcome the flagship programme and contribute ideas to make it work rather than running it down.

He said systemic challenges of free SHS should not be misconstrued as failure of the policy, adding, it is the best thing to ever happen to Ghana’s Educational System since independence.

As a result of the importance of this policy in benefitting students, parents, and the nation, Mr. Ankamah, however, encouraged the citizenry to come on board to contribute ideas to make it work.

He said at this stage the policy needs ideas to make progress, solutions to the challenges, and not deliberate attempts that maintain the status quo or draw the policy back.

He called for questions that seek answers to make the policy work should be Ghanaians singular and major preoccupation, and not reasons that will make nation renege on this laudable policy intervention.

Mr. Ankamah urged government to continue to think in novel ways and engage stakeholders in order to ensure the sustenance of the policy by identifying and addressing any potential threat that can undermine or compromise its effectiveness, and opportunities that will ensure its success.

The Free Senior High School policy is meant to improve access at the senior high schools, provide opportunity for the disadvantaged to obtain senior secondary school education, and to unearth or discover talents.

The policy which begun on Monday, 11 September 2017 was a key campaign promise of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2016 election.

Mr. Ankamah reiterated that education is important to promote both personal and societal growth and therefore entreated all Ghanaians to “put politics aside and commend the Akufo-Addo-led administration for making the promised Free Senior High School a reality”.

According to him, the policy have benefited every Ghanaian regardless of ethnicity, religious affinity, and political affiliation.

The Bono director for department of children, said there are so many students whose talents or gifts have, over the years, been buried as a result of their inability to continue their education after completing junior high school, and so it is hoped that, with the implementation of the Free SHS policy, the country will benefit from the knowledge, ability and unique skills of these students to make the nation better and stronger.

On the issue of diet in schools, the Regional Children's Director continued that, since the time of Ghana’s Independence, Majority of Ghanaians are not having or eating the Food Quality and the so-called Three Square Meals Each Day, saying, even most working class in Ghana are not enjoying balanced diet Per Nutritionists definition.

Contributing on the same program, a UK based Ghanaian and the Managing Director of Cliffmelvyn Company Ltd in Sunyani, Mr. Prince Osei Kwadwo (One-In Town) implored Ghanaians to embrace Free SHS by looking beyond its current challenges, claiming it is the only social intervention policy in Ghana that benefit all Ghanaians regardless of background.

He explained that the government's expenditure on the policy should be seen as the necessary investment for the future of Ghana

He said the policy also aims at the future upliftment of a Ghanaian child, as well as easing the pressure of having to wondering the corridors of well to do Ghanaians who prey especially on the innocent female Students in the name of help.