NPP must swallow its pride and scrap Free SHS - Hassan Ayariga

Government has been urged to accept criticisms of the implemented free Senior High School (SHS) policy or swallow its pride and scrap the policy that has been inundated with several challenges.

There have been complaints from school heads that the programme has been characterized by a litany of challenges including poor feeding, lack of accommodation and inadequate number of furniture to facilitate teaching and learning.

Bank roller of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga wants government to consider an option of addressing these challenges following the criticisms from stakeholders or scrap the flagship programme.

“Instead of addressing this problem our competent government said it has created voluntary fund for the willing public to donate to support the Free SHS. The introduction of the voluntary contribution announced by the government shows how it is battling to finance its maiden flagship programme. The government should be bold to admit it has failed woefully to sustain the FREE SHS which is not even covering about 60% of the total SHS population. How can we be sure that in two to three years when the policy reaches 100% coverage the voluntary contribution can accrue enough funds to adequately cater for the policy? Competence indeed”, he said while addressing the media.

In his view, there was no feasibility study to ascertain how the program should be implemented.

“There was no policy document too. The administration jumped into frenzy to start the program the same way they parroted it on political platforms. Immediately after the jamboree the problems began as they were warned but they ignored. Schools have no capacity to accommodate the children. There are no dormitories leading to children sleeping on bare floors”, he emphasized.