My ideas on Free SHS were said to be incompatible with Akufo-Addo’s objectives - Former UG Vice Chancellor

Critics call on government to review Free SHS policy

Prof Addae-Mensah discloses challenge with Free SHS

President has no intent to rollback on Free SHS

Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, has stated that government’s Free Senior High School policy has failed to yield results as was intended.

Birthed as a political

Read full articlecampaign promise by then opposition flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2012, Prof. Addae-Mensah in a recent interview with Joynews said he had his own reservations with the policy since it was brought up as an idea.

According to Prof. Addae-Mensah, he tried to bring Nana Addo’s attention to his concerns about the policy but had his ideas discarded despite being given audience to share same.

“I’ve had my own ideas on Free SHS since 2012 and I made my ideas known to the current President since... when he started talking about it.

“I took the opportunity to go and have a chat with him, he put me in touch with his committee that was working on the policy. I had a lot of discussions with them. Unfortunately, my ideas were said to be incompatible with the president’s objectives. I have no quarrel with that,” he stated.

He noted that the despite not winning the presidency in 2012, President Akufo-Addo in 2017, went ahead to implement the Free SHS policy after winning the 2016 elections.

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Describing the current state of the policy as unsustainable and problematic to the general economy of the country, the former Vice Chancellor said his advice and concerns were still not taken into consideration.

“Unfortunately, 2012 he didn’t succeed. He came in in 2016 and with a few modifications here and there started implementing it. But I still had a view that the way it was being implemented, it was going to create a lot of problems, challenges, not only for education itself but even in the general economy of the country. I felt that the way it was being implemented was unsustainable,” he stated.

There have been heightened calls for a review of the Free SHS policy on the back of recent economic challenges facing the country.

According to some critics, there is the need for the policy to be reviewed to ensure conformity to the nation’s capability to finance such a venture considering the cost it involves.

Speaking on the recent calls, Prof Addae-Mensah in his interview with Joynews said, “at that time, I came under a lot of flak. But it is interesting to know that some of those people who thought what I was saying was too farfetched are now the same people who are singing the song that I was singing or I have been singing since 2012.”

On his concern with the Free SHS policy and how it can be resolved, the renowned educationist said, “let those who can afford pay and whatever they contribute will go a long way in helping hose who really, genuinely need help. I don’t see why if I were in a position to send children to school or grandchildren to school, I don’t see any reason why government should pay for the food that my grandchild or my child should eat in a boarding school. I don’t see any reason why that should be the case. For me, it’s a drain on the economy.”

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, speaking at a press conference to announce government’s measures in dealing with the current economic challenges, was silent on the calls for a review of Free SHS.

However, the finance minister who described the policy as the “most ambitious social welfare policy ever seen in our country,” was emphatic to say that President Akufo-Addo has no intentions of reversing the policy.

“Let me say this, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has absolutely no intention to roll back on a major policy like Free SHS. We see education as the best enabler for sustainable economic growth and transformation and will do more to improve on it for it to serve more and better our children,” the minister said.