Effective today, day students in senior high schools will no longer pay tuition fees.Their fees have been absorbed by government as part of its policy to make day secondary school free at all levels.
President Mahama is expected to announce the start of the policy when he commissions the Otuam Community Day High School later today.
This is in fulfilment of the NDC’s promise to build 200 senior high schools across the country. 50 schools were to be built by August this year to facilitate the implementation of the policy.
But more than a year after the President’s announcement, Joy News’ checks revealed that not many of the schools have been constructed.
Government in the 2015 budget, voted 18 million cedis to kick start the free
SHS project in the 2015/16 academic year.
But the Minority in Parliament however says the figure will only cater for less than 50 percent of 367,000 day students in Ghana.
Its spokesperson on education, Professor Dominic Fobih says the revelation demonstrates government’s lack of commitment to the Policy.
However, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service, Rev. Jonathan Bettey has told Joy News, government will address the challenges that may come with the policy.
“The purpose of it is designed to ensure increased and equitable access to high quality cycle education which is supposed to be affordable to all,” he explained.
Though tuition will be free, he said because parents ought to be “responsible”, depending on the school, they will be levied for Parent Teachers Association.
“But any other fee that will make it difficult for parents to send their children to school would be covered by the government,” he said.
He also announced that on the orders of the president, the Finance Minister has released funds to cover arrears for the 2014/15 academic year.
No comments:
Post a Comment