Free SHS not for irresponsible parents – Minister

Minister of Education, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman has cautioned that parents who deliberately decide to be irresponsible by refusing to finance their children’s education will not be entertained in President Mahama’s progressively free Senior High School (SHS) project.

The fee-free Senior High School project, she noted, provides the demand side of incentive for SHS in addition to the easing of barriers for parents who wish to finance their children’s education at the secondary level, but do not have the means.

“We are aware of parents who can financially support their children and we urge them to continue to do so and we are also aware of those who even go on to support other children – we want to express our gratitude for this key kind intervention.”

“We are also aware of parents who wish to support their dependents but they are honestly unable to do so. This intervention is for them. It is not for those who willfully decide to be irresponsible,” she noted when addressing the Chiefs and people of Ekumfi Otuam at the commissioning of a 24-classroom community day secondary school on Thursday.

The facility was commissioned by President John Mahama and was named after the late President John Evans Atta Mills and symbolizes the official take off of the progressively free Senior High School promised by the President in 2013.

The facility, apart from the spacious 24 classrooms, also boasts of four laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Integrated Science, two libraries, eight offices for departmental heads, ICT laboratories and internet learning area.

It was designed in an E-shape structure to signify excellence, officials say. The other schools will have same resemblance.

The facility is one of the 200 community day senior schools promised by the President to be built across the country, especially, in deprived and underserved communities, to expand physical access to education.

Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang commenting further noted the beneficiary students in the free SHS program exclude day students in the 2015/16 academic year that are benefiting from other forms of scholarships such as the Ghana Cocoa Board Scholarships, Northern Scholarships, Secondary Education Improvement Project Scholarships, and those on scholarships provided by NGOs, corporate bodies and individuals.