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Members of Parliament have showered plaudits on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.
According to them, the initiative is the biggest and most revolutionary social policy intervention by any government in the 4th Republican Democracy.
The House noted that the Free SHS has the potential to redefine basic education from Kindergarten to include SHS, vocational, agricultural as well as technical schools and the possibility of granting access to millions of children.
The MPs offered the commendation when contributing to a statement by the member for Tafo, Vincent Assafuah, to commemorate International Day of Education.
The day, which fell on Sunday 24th January 2021 was celebrated around the world on Monday 25th January 2021 under the theme, “Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation
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“It is for good reason that the United Nation recognizes education as a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.”
“However, despite this need for education, there are many challenges that need to be addressed to enhance the experience of education for Ghanaian children,” he stated.
He admitted there are still parents who are grappling with the choice of whether their kids should work on farms or go to school while there are still teachers whose compensation falls far below the efforts they exert in discharging their duties,”
Hon. Assafuah stated that though the Ghanaian education story is not all gloomy, the implementation of the free universal education by the President has charted a new course for the country hence the need to acknowledge his efforts.
Contributing to the statement, Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu noted that while commending President Akufo-Addo, there is also a need to acknowledge the foundation for the free SHS was laid by others.
He said, “That is why students benefiting from it are sleeping in dormitories built by previous governments. They are in classrooms previously built so the success hinges on the early investments made in the education sector.”
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The Minority leader noted that while celebrating the day, the government must also reflect and ponder on what to do to assure Ghanaian children of their protection as they return to school.
The state, he said, needs to take immediate action about school children in public schools particularly, who are very deprived compared to those in private schools.
He said, “They don’t have zoom in their homes or even television sets’”
“If they lose their foundation years forget it because this is the only period they can learn numeracy and literacy.”
“We need to take urgent steps to ensure that they don’t lose their foundation training and their foundation years.”
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FrontPageGhana.com/Osumanu Al-Hassan
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