Don’t blame students when free SHS prioritizes quantity over quality impact – Peter Nortsu-Kotoe

Ranking Member on the Education Committee in Parliament, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe has declared the current state of Ghana’s education system as the poorest form of management since the Fourth Republic.

In an interview on Happy 98.9 FM’s “Epa Hoa Daben” socio-political talk show with Sefah Danquah the MP for Akatsi North Constituency raised concerns over the impact of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy on the quality of education in Ghana.

He noted that the government’s focus on quantity over quality has led to a decline in the standard of education and students and management of secondary school should not be blamed for poor performance.

“Our education system is not at its best, and we are only touting the message about free SHS being the best, but we’re not getting the quality we deserve,” Nortsu-Kotoe told Sefah Danquah.

“If students go to school, and headmasters or heads of institutions cannot feed them properly, when funds are not there to provide them with their basic necessities and run the school effectively, then what are we doing? So for me, there’s a need for us as a nation to redefine what our secondary school education should be.”

Nortsu-Kotoe acknowledged that Free SHS is a constitutional mandate and has been implemented, but the government’s approach prioritizes quantity over quality. He expressed concern that students are not being adequately prepared for their future and questioned whether the government is fulfilling its responsibility to provide quality education.

“I don’t have a problem with Free SHS because it’s a constitutional mandate and has been carried out, but we are not doing well. We are only thinking of the numbers and not the quality or impact. Are we preparing these students for the future?” he said.

Hon. Nortsu-Kotoe’s comments come amid concerns about the quality of education in Ghana after the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum threatened to close down nonperforming

schools if the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) and Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions do not put measures in place to improve the outcomes of examinations.