No decision made on 4 years SHS – Education Minister-designate

Education Minister-designate, Matthew Opoku Prempeh has disclosed that the New Patriotic Party government has no immediate intention to revert second cycle education to four years.

The number of years spent in the Senior High School has been changed, at least twice, in two decades when the Sixth Form system was phased out.

The New Patriotic Party immediately after assuming office in 2001 converted secondary education into four years from the three years it inherited. When the National Democratic Congress won back power, government reverted it to three years again.

When Education Minister-designate appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, the MP for Cape Coast North, Barbara Ayisi noted that students did extremely well under a 4-year system of SHS introduced by the previous NPP government. She, therefore, wanted to know if the NPP government would revisit that policy.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was emphatic that, “that decision has not been made”.

He, however, noted that if the President, Nana Akufo-Addo decides to make SHS education four years, he will be willing to ensure its implementation.

A follow-up question was made by the chairman of the committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu who enquired from the nominee if educational policies should be left in the hands of politicians.

“Our life is left in the hands of politicians in so far as governance is concerned, and we have chosen that as a nation. It is not every expert advice the politician will have to follow verbatim…” the minister-designate submitted.