Run Free SHS policy for only needy students - Economist

A Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Lord Mensah, has asked the government to make the free SHS policy to cater for only needy students.

This comment by the expert in line Ken Ofori-Atta's address today Thursday, March 24, on measures instituted by government to resolve the current economic challenges in the country.

President Akufo Addo announced that the Finance Minister’s address will address the nation today 24th March 2022.

The address was expected to highlight the outcome of deliberations that took place during cabinet’s weekend retreat.

“Our retreat which you referred to is in some way quite timely, because as a general rule, we have retreats each year on a quarterly basis, and this is the first one for this year.

"Fortunately for us, it coincided with these difficulties, and the public anxiety about the way that the economy was going.

"It gave us therefore the opportunity of the three days to look in-depth at where the economy was headed, and what measures were necessary to be taken.”

“Some parts have apparently gone before the country, but the decision was that the Minister for Finance, on my instructions, is going to have a major engagement with the nation on Thursday, where he is going to be in a position to lay out specifically, the measures we’ve taken and we intend to take, to correct, as it were, put the ship of state, steep on a better keel”, President Akufo-Addo stated.

In an interview with host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Lord Mensah, asked the government to create a fund and set a target for the policy to run for only needy students.

He maintained that parents of most of the students in the big schools in Ghana are capable of paying the fees of their wards.

“Another thing is the free SHS. Government should set a target. Only a handful of parents are incapable of paying the fees of their wards.

"Government can review the free SHS policy to cater for only needy students. There should be a fund available so that the fees of needy students can be paid through the fund,” Professor Lord Mensah told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.