The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has expressed serious concerns over the apparent lack of extensive stakeholders’ consultation on the proposed Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill set to be presented before Parliament.

Prof. Damasus Tuurosong, President of Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), in a statement called on the government to slow down the process and engage in extensive stakeholder consultations to ensure the bill’s effectiveness and sustainability.

“GNAPS is worried because a characteristic of how important decisions on education are handled in this country, private schools, which account for 49% of educational establishments and 33% of pre-tertiary enrolments in Ghana, have been side-lined in deliberations on the Bill”.
Prof. Damasus Tuurosong, President of Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS)

Professor Damasus Tuurosong, President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools emphasized the importance of inclusive dialogue in educational reforms.

He pointed out that the exclusion of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools undermines the collaborative spirit necessary for effective educational reforms.

“The government ought to have learned its lessons from the Free SHS debacle; how its failure to consult private schools before implementing the novel policy resulted in challenges that could have been averted – overcrowding resulting in the Double Track System, feeding challenges, overstretched staff, etc”.
Prof. Damasus Tuurosong, President of Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS)

Cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination

Furthermore, the President of Ghana National Association of Private Schools, Prof. Damasus Tuurosong raised concerns over the contentious issues related to the proposed bill such as the rumored cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

He posited that the Ghana National Association of Private Schools strongly opposes the move, arguing that periodic external assessments are crucial for identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps introduce the right interventions to achieve desired learning outcomes.

Prof. Damasus Tuurosong emphasized that the Basic Education Certificate Examination which serves as a major assessment tool after nine years of basic education, is very essential to the country’s education system.

“Before the proposed Bill is sent to Parliament, Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) requests that the Minister of Education convenes a series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including GNAPS, and conducts thorough assessments to understand the potential implications of canceling BECE and extending SHS to six years”.
Prof. Damasus Tuurosong, President of Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS)

Prof. Tuurosong emphasized that extensive consultations are critical to identifying and addressing potential challenges that may arise from implementing the bill.

Despite the concerns of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, the President, Prof. Damasus Tuurosong expressed the association’s commitment to working collaboratively with the government and other stakeholders to achieve national educational aspirations.

According to him, the Ghana National Association of Private Schools believes that through inclusive dialogue and careful planning, Ghana can benefit from an educational system that supports the aspirations and needs of every learner in the country.

In a fervent call to action, the President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, Prof. Damasus Tuurosong called for inclusive consultations and thorough assessments, asserting that such a move would ensure a high-quality, equitable education system for all Ghanaian children.

He stressed that hasty implementation without adequate stakeholder engagement could lead to avoidable challenges, undermining the very goals the bill seeks to achieve.

In an earlier critique, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) expressed strong disapproval and grave concern over the government’s plan to present a Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill to Parliament without extensive consultation with key stakeholders, particularly teacher unions.

The leadership of the teachers’ union consisting of President Eric Agbe-Carbonu, Vice President Jacob Anaba, General Secretary Michael Ayuraboya, and Deputy General Secretary Rene Senyo Kwamikorkor, in a joint statement condemned the move by the Ministry of Education.

They denounced the lack of engagement with teacher unions, which are essential to the successful implementation of the Free SHS program.