President of Regentropfen College of Applied Sciences, Rev. Dr. Moses Asaah Awinongya has added his voice to the calls for a review of the Free Senior High School Policy.
Dr. Asaah stated that although the policy is commendable, its current mode of implementation cannot guaranteed quality education.
He wants government to make holistic investment into the pre-tertiary education system and extend the period of education at the SHS level to 4 years.
He said while he does not necessarily subscribe to suggestions of a targeted implementation of the policy, a review is critical to rectify the implementation challenges and realise the objectives of the policy.
“The free SHS should be reviewed. I do not go in for review in terms of what some people are looking at,” he said in an interview on Breakfast Today.
“I am looking at review in terms of the content in terms of the number of years and in terms of provision of facilities and it will be wrong to go to the cities and take the cities’ schools as an example of success. If we want to look at success then we will also have to do quantitatively. We have to take a broader perspective, go to the rural areas and take examples and compare with those in the cities”.
Dr. Moses Asaah decried the lack of adequate infrastructure at the basic school level.
The situation, he said, is hampering quality education at that level and does not equip schoolchildren with strong fundamentals for high academic pursuit.
“There are still many schools which do not have furniture and the pupils are sitting on the floor. If you get a very good basic education, most of them or all of them will qualify with good grades to the SHS then it is easier for those at the SHS to pick up from there”.
It is for this reason that he wants urgent steps to be taken to resolve the challenges at the basic level while the period of education at the SHS level be extended to offer the schools more room to help students catch up.
Dr. Moses Asaah also cautioned against politicization of issues of education.
He believes the current challenges the country’s education is bedevilled with is due to undue politicization.
