Free SHS policy producing quantity, not quality – Prof Addae Mensah

Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, has added his voice to those calling on the government of Ghana to review its flagship free SHS policy.

According to him, since the introduction of the policy by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government, it has only produced quantity and not quality students.

He, then, charged the government to reconsider reviewing the policy to make it more sustainable because sacrificing quality for quantity is not the way to go.

Prof. Addae Mensah reiterated noted the low quality of products of the free SHS has been reflected in the number that makes it to the two premier medical schools in Ghana.

He explained, “out of the over 720 senior high schools in the country, only 110 of them have had their students make it to the two traditional medical schools at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana.”

“We have to look at it again. I think that there are certain schools which we should make autonomous and fee-paying and people will go there, but then make sure there are good community schools for everybody else. So the Achimota’s and the Wey Gey Hey’s, which people want their children to go, let them pay,” Prof. Addae Mensah noted.

The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, then, advised the government to focus on replicating what makes the few schools perform better instead of establishing STEM schools.

Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah is not the only one who is advocating for a review of the government flagship free SHS.

Professor Stephen Adei, an economist and the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, had earlier called on the government to review its flagship programme.

In an interview with Joy News, the former Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority explained, “Only a small proportion of the poor come to Achimota, let the rich go there and pay. Use the Achimota funds to have very good schools in every district so that they can be there and don’t have to travel. They just come from the villages.”

Also Kennedy Nyarko Osei, Akim Swedru MP, in a Facebook post proposed that since the country is experiencing some economic difficulties, it will be prudent for the government to suspend its flagship free SHS policy.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has said the government has no intention of “rolling back” its flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

“Let me say this, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has absolutely no intention to roll back on a major policy like Free SHS.

“We see education as the best enabler for sustainable economic growth and transformation and will do more to improve on it for it to serve more and better our children,” he stated at a press conference on Tuesday, March 22.