Govt will soon not have the resources to finance Free SHS – NAGRAT

President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Angel Carbonou has said the government is reaching a point where it might be unable to finance its flagship Free SHS initiative.

According to him, the teachers association warned the implementation of the programme will have financing challenges but the government failed to listen to them, 3news.com reports.

Carbonou added that given the current revenue mobilisation challenges the government is experiencing, it will soon get to a point where the government will not have the resources to fully implement the programme.

“This is something that NAGRAT foresaw even before the implementation of the free SHS and we raised caution. Unfortunately, nobody listened to us,” 3news.com reports.

He added that “helping people to be able to access education, especially those who do not have is good but when you do it without taking into consideration the general facial situation in the country, your ability to raise resources and the presence of other economic and social challenges in the country you will definitely come to a cul-de-sac, unfortunately, that is where we are getting to.”

The NAGRAT president further stated that the Free SHS is not only about fees and feeding of the students, adding that it includes the administration of the school, the provision of teaching and learning materials as well as the creation of a conducive teaching and learning environment.

“So, when we talk about implementing free senior high school and we limit the concept to feeding of students, the other aspects of our educational sector will be dwindling dry,” he added.

Angel Carbonou is reported to have made these remarks reacting to an evaluation of the Senior High School policy given by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The Asantehene said that although the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy is essential to Ghana’s development, its implementation has created some challenges for the country.

According to Otumfuo, the implementation of the Free SHS which has led to an increase in enrolment in secondary schools in Ghana has put a huge strain on Ghana’s limited resources.

• The Asantehene, who made these remarks at a Memphis event at the University of Memphis in the US, noted that because the Free SHS policy has led to an increase in the number of secondary school graduates, it is worsening the unemployment challenge of the country.