Some head teachers of second-cycle institutions are calling for the scrapping of some freebies accompanying the implementation of the government’s Free Senior High School policy. They believe that this would ease the pressure on government coffers, which would essentially provide an avenue for the government to re-channel funds into the provision of food items.
A head teacher, who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity, indicated that his students are fed without protein and fruits as the school has run out of such items. He also believes that parents are ready and capable of supporting the government to feed the students, and should thus be given the chance.
“Free uniforms should be cancelled, free church service attire, breakfast and supper should be taken care of by parents, not the government. And we keep on drumming this, and I don’t understand this, because parents are capable of taking care of their children”.
“This thing has gone beyond politics. We are talking about Ghana, as we speak, we don’t have a single tin of sardine in my school. I don’t remember the last time we gave them eggs and fruits,” a head teacher of a Senior High School who spoke on Eyewitness News lamented.
The Free SHS policy is a government initiative introduced in September 2017 by the Nana Akufo-Addo government to provide free education for senior high school students. Several calls by civil society organisations and watchers of the education space for the review of the policy have been rejected by the government despite glaring challenges plaguing the programme.
