The recent announcement by the government to introduce a Free Senior High School (Free SHS) Bill has sparked a wave of mixed reactions among the general public.
The policy, which aims to legislate free education at the senior high school level according to the Majority Leader, Honorable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has faced substantial criticism from various stakeholders.
Among the most vocal opponents are teachers’ unions, including the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), who argued that the government’s efforts should focus on enhancing the existing policy’s efficacy rather than allocating resources to new legislation.
Other concerns citizens have also expressed their concerns over the Free SHS Bill, emphasizing the need for the government to address the current challenges plaguing the Free SHS program, such as inadequate infrastructure, insufficient teaching materials, and the overall quality of education.
Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, commenting on the controversial issue, decried the proposal, labelling it as duplicative and suggesting that the government’s legislative focus should be redirected towards more urgent reforms.
According to Mr Asare, the New Patriotic Party administration led by President Akufo-Addo has already made significant strides in the education sector through various legal reforms since it assumed power.
These, he noted include the Pre-Tertiary Education Act (Act 1049), which made Free SHS law, and the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) law, as well as the Education Regulatory Bodies Act (Act 1023) and the Complementary Education Agency Act (Act 1055).
Need for Legislative Instruments and Amendments
The Executive Director for the education think-tank group, while calling for alternative reforms, emphasized the need for the government to rather develop a Legislative Instruments (LIs) to provide the necessary operational frameworks for the effective implementation of these new laws.
He asserted that without these Legislative instruments, the full potential of the various laws enacted by the current administration and its reforms cannot be realized.
“Having done these, I respectfully opine that, the next strategic legislative reform activity in the last 6 months of the Akufo-Addo administration should be to: Develop Legislative Instruments (LI) to provide the requisite operational frameworks for properly implementing these new laws”.
Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch
Exerting efforts on the proposed Free SHS Bill, Mr Asare argued, is not a priority given the existing legislative framework that already encompasses free SHS.
Among many things, Mr Asare recommended that the government focus on drafting a Legislative Instrument for the Pre-Tertiary Education Act (Act 1049).
This, he posited would outline the framework for operationalizing the Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) and Free SHS/TVET provisions, including funding norms and implementation guidelines.
Mr Asare further noted that the Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE), which is critical for feeding students into the Free SHS system, has never had an LI or policy document for nearly two decades since its introduction.
He emphasized that by creating a common Legislative Instrument for pre-tertiary education, the government can establish coherence between the envisioned Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy and the existing Free SHS policy, thereby enhancing their effectiveness and sustainability.
“Laws-LI-Policy! To wit, the wrap-up strategy for the Ministry of Education should therefore aim to consolidate the harmonisation and operationalisation of existing (new) laws, than passing new amorphous ones”.
Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch
In addition, Mr Asare pointed out the need for the government to amend the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Act to address the increasing instances of exam fraud, which threatens the credibility of secondary education assessments in Ghana.
This issue, he noted has been a long-standing concern for both the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and his advocacy and education think-tank group, Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), who have been advocating for reforms for the past four years.
In light of the critical issues raised by Mr Kofi Asare and teacher unions including the National Associaton of Graduate Teachers, it is imperative that the government reassess its decision to introduce a new Free SHS Bill.
Prioritizing the development of comprehensive LIs for existing educational reforms as earlier intimated by Mr Asare, and addressing the challenges within the current Free SHS framework will not only consolidate the gains made so far but also ensure a more robust and effective education system for Ghana’s future.
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