Let parents who can afford fees pay - Nii Arday Clegg on Free SHS

Renowned media personality, Robert Nii Arday Clegg has advocated for the scrapping of the Free SHS education system introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He argues that some guardians must be left to their own fate of footing the bills of their wards as they can afford the cost.

“If some people can afford the fees let them pay it. We should do a means test, not everybody should get it for free,” he said.

According to him, the government will be better off taking care of brilliant but needy students in the country by offering them scholarships rather than making the system absolutely free for those who have the means to fulfil financial requirements.

“…there are many people who are bright so help them, the nation owes them a duty but me I don’t think the state should pay for my children’s education to come Achimota school. That’s my issue with Free SHS, it’s not political, it’s thinking, finance, money and the nation,” he stressed.

The private legal practitioner bemoaned that, failure on the part of political leaders to implement solid educational policies over the years has contributed to some of the enormous problems the country is faced with.

Speaking in an interview with www.ghanaweb.com, he described the current system as a failure while calling for the abrogated O and A Level to be reintroduced.

To him, the leaders who have been appointed into positions have failed to portray visionary qualities in devising ways to address the country’s challenges, instead they occupy those spots only to enrich themselves while impoverishing the electorates.

“People should be able to say, cars are coming in at this rate, the population is growing at that rate, etc. and we are focusing that nine years down the road etc.… What happened to all those leaders? Are they really leaders? People are just leaders for the sake if you like, of filling a position,” he maintained.

Nii Arday Clegg added, “I want to see people who lead because they solve our problems that’s what they do out there, we can do it too, so that’s my biggest problem, change. Educational levels and standards is a problem.”