NDC’s promise to extend Free SHS to private schools commendable - GNAPS

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has welcomed the decision by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to extend the Free Senior High School policy to private schools.

Public Relations Officer of GNAPS, Naphtali A. Kyei-Baffour said the policy which was captured in the manifesto of the NDC is sound and the right way to go.

The NDC has promised says to expand the reach of the Free Senior High School programme to private schools if it secures victory in the upcoming general elections.

The running mate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang revealed that the second-cycle schools in the private sector also need to be roped into the initiative.

“We plan to make the Free SHS more inclusive by expanding it to cover students in private senior high schools in under-served and deprived parts of the country,” she said on Monday at the launch of the NDC’s manifesto.

The new NDC government she said will broaden the scope for students of private schools, especially around hard-to-reach communities.

Reacting to this, Mr Naphtali A. Kyei-Baffour said it was important for the current government to have partnered with private schools to run the programme instead of rolling out the double-track system.

He said it was the expectation of the private schools for the government to have paid the same fees it was paying for students in public schools in the private schools but they refused.

”Today, the NDC has captured this in their manifesto. We appreciate this and are grateful to the NDC but we will hold them to account. At least, the candidate has respected and factored this in their manifesto. We appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, he has also appealed to all other political parties to captured this in their manifestoes.

”We would appeal to all the other political parties to capture this in their manifestoes. It is not for our own parochial interest but it is in the interest of the nation so that children into private schools will benefit from the policy. Parents who send their children to private schools pay taxes and so, in sharing the national cake, they must benefit.”