Hon. Clement Abas Apaak, MP for Builsa South and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Committee on Education has stated that President Akufo-Addo’s frustration stems from the lack of appreciation from parents for his government’s handling of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.
Hon. Apaak observed that President Akufo-Addo has conceded that his party’s political capital among parents and students has been depleted due to the policy’s botched implementation.
The MP’s remark follows President Akufo-Addo’s suggestion that parents and guardians with the financial capacity should consider sending their children to private schools, freeing up resources for the Free SHS policy to benefit those who truly need government support.
“Why should parents applaud him for the shambolic implementation of an otherwise good policy? Did he expect parents to remain mute in the face of the numerous implementation challenges he has failed to fix?”
Hon. Clement Abas Apaak
The Builsa South MP emphasized that President Akufo-Addo must end his false narrative of being the originator of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) concept when the truth is that he is only implementing a policy that was already in motion.
Apaak stressed that the President’s attempt to present himself as the sole financier of the program is misleading when in reality, it is a publicly-funded initiative, supported by the taxes of ordinary Ghanaians.
“He is not the originator of FSHS, nor is he using his money to fund it”. – Hon. Clement Abas Apaak
He stressed that the Free SHS policy is financed with revenue generated from Ghana’s oil resources, essentially meaning that it is the country’s own oil wealth that is funding the program.
The MP posited that parents, who are also taxpayers, have a legitimate expectation for a hitch-free implementation of the policy, and therefore, should not be satisfied with the government’s inability to resolve the persistent challenges.
Apaak Slams Free SHS Implementation
Furthermore, Hon. Clement Abas Apaak lamented that school children under the Free SHS program are served inadequate, poor-quality, and sometimes unwholesome food, highlighting the glaring gaps in the policy’s implementation.
He denounced President Akufo-Addo’s expectation of praise from parents, given the obvious shortcomings in the program, saying it is unreasonable to expect applause for subpar service.
“Students stay at home for 3 months and in school for less than 2 months, and he wants parents to be impressed? Truth Stands!”
Hon. Clement Abas Apaak
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo hailed the Free SHS program as a resounding success, citing a significant increase in student enrollment since its inception.
According to the President, the program has doubled the number of students accessing secondary education, with an impressive 5.7 million beneficiaries to date.
This milestone, the President noted, underscores the program’s impact in expanding access to education and providing opportunities for millions of young Ghanaians.
President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his conviction that the Free SHS policy will yield profound long-term benefits, outweighing the concerns of a privileged minority.
He maintained that the advantages of the policy will far surpass the objections of a small group of affluent parents who can afford to pay school fees, ultimately benefiting the greater good of the nation.
“That is why the number of pupils who have access to secondary education has doubled since the introduction of the free senior high school policy”. – President Akufo-Addo
Meanwhile, the President of the Ghana Bar (GBA) Association proposed a means-testing approach for the Free SHS policy, utilizing data from the National Identification Authority (NIA) to target only underprivileged students.
This suggestion aims to ensure that the policy’s benefits are directed towards those who need it most, optimizing its impact and efficiency.
The GBA President argued that the blanket implementation of the policy places an unsustainable financial burden on the state, highlighting the need for a more targeted approach.
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