Professor George Kweku Toku Oduro, a distinguished figure in Educational Leadership at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, a UNESCO Category II Centre of Excellence at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), has called for a comprehensive review of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy in Ghana.
Professor Oduro’s appeal is grounded in the need to address a multitude of challenges plaguing the education sector, following the policy’s rapid implementation by the New Patriotic Party administration under President Akuffo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The Professor of Educational Leadership further refuted the assertion that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) opposed the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy, but argued that the opposition party has consistently supported the concept of ‘Free’ education at the senior high school level.
He recounted the National Democratic Congress’s previous efforts in rolling out a targeted progressively ‘Free’ SHS policy prior to the current government’s assumption of office in 2017 and stated that the move serve as a testament to the party’s commitment to making quality education accessible to all Ghanaians.
Furthermore, George Kweku Toku Oduro emphasized that the National Democratic Congress and some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) consistently cautioned against the hasty and unplanned implementation of the Free Senior High School policy.
Drawing attention to historical warnings, Professor Oduro highlighted the foresight of key New Patriotic Party figures, including Dr. Addo-Kuffour, a former Minister of Defence under former President Kuffour’s administration who specifically warned against the hurried introduction of the Free Senior High School policy, predicting adverse effects on educational quality and potential setbacks.
Professor Oduro stated that regrettably, the prescient cautions by the former Defence Minister and many well-meaning Ghanaians were disregarded, leading to the emergence of implementation challenges such as the introduction of the double-track system.
Professor Oduro pointed out that, the concerns raised by the National Democratic Congress and many well-meaning Ghanaians including key members of the ruling government, who prioritized the nation over party interests, have materialized.
“A year after, when the implementation challenges started looming resulting in the historical birth of double track for instance, the then Minister of Finance, Honourable Ken Ofori-Atta, like the NDC, called for a change in the way the policy was being implemented and suggested strongly that the FSHS must target the vulnerable ones who lack the financial capacity”.
Professor George K. T Oduro
Challenges Confronting FSHS Policy
Moreover, Professor George K. T Oduro expressed deep concerns over how the education landscape is now marred by issues such as a curriculum lacking sufficient textbooks, a staggered academic calendar, and weakened management and governance systems.
According to Professor Oduro, these issues, coupled with reported food shortages among students and several other challenges in most schools in the country call for an urgent thorough review of the Free Senior High School policy.
Commenting on the National Democratic Congress flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposal to review the Free Senior High School policy, Professor Oduro posited that a future government of the opposition party would focus on ensuring equitable access and quality in the provision of Free Senior High School policy.
He noted that the National Democratic Congress review of the Free Senior High School policy would consider critical areas such as resource availability, fair distribution across educational levels, and addressing disparities between rural-urban and advantage-disadvantaged settings.
The call for a review, according to Professor Oduro, is not rooted in political affiliation but in the need to rectify the evident shortcomings that have emerged since the Free Senior High School policy’s inception.
He stressed that a thorough evaluation of the Free Senior High School policy would be necessary to address issues of quality, equity, and resource distribution across different educational levels.
Professor Oduro’s call for a review of the Free Senior High School policy without doubt resonates as a crucial step towards addressing the current challenges and ensuring a sustainable and effective educational system for the benefit of all Ghanaian students.
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