The Time is now. Free SHS is Sustainable, Affordable and Quality will not be Sacrificed By Yeboah Benjamin
The Time is now. Free SHS is Sustainable, Affordable and Quality will not be Sacrificed By Yeboah Benjamin
The free SHS concept is not a novel. It is an ideal foreseen by the 1992 constitution. For this I congratulate H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia for shifting the agenda from personal politics and ethnocentrism to the core issues of governance. Recently following the speech His Excellency delivered during the 60th Anniversary of Okuapeman Senior high School, a lot of concerns has been raised and I have heard few concerning its relevance (importance), Quality, Sustainability and Affordability. This four concerns have been voiced out on several platform I have had the occasion to listen to, I have my take on each, after all this is my space.
On Relevance
The problem in our educational system is multifaceted including insufficient materials, lack of teacher motivation, poor infrastructure to mention but few. I cannot boast of knowing it all. Ofcourse free SHS will not address all these challenges, from my point of view I see this policy doing an immediate job of at least saving the nation from reducing the number of children on the street trying to make a living. It will also go a long way to reduce the crime rate on the street as at least most of them will have access to second cycle institution. It got to a point in Ghana where BNI recommended that parents makes sure to see their children through second cycle institution to reduce crime rate on the street.
Also it will increase the number of enrolment of the poor citizen in this country. Increasing enrolment will also lead to employment of new teachers and more infrastructure to meet the demand which will lead to job creation.
Taking Uganda as a critical example, free SHS was introduced in 2006 and as at 2008 enrolment rose from 50% to 74%, 45% of them being females (source: National Education Profile – Uganda 2013).
On Quality, I will just throw highlight for true citizens of this country to judge. The great Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah introduced this policy in the Northern part of Ghana and it has been there since its implementation to date. These are names of few beneficiaries of this policy,
1. Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia (Vice President of the Republic)
2. H.E John Dramani Mahama (Past immediate President)
3. Hon. Alban Gbagbin (2nd Deputy speaker of parliament)
4. Hon. Haruna Iddrissu (Minority Leader)
5. Hon Martin Amidu (Past Attorney General – Citizen Vigilante)
6. Hon Benjamin Kumbour (Past Attorney General)
7. Dr. Abu Sakara Forster ( Flag bearer CPP 2012)
8. Hon. Cletus Avoka (Former Majority Leader NDC)
Trust me there is a taller list and no one can debate the quality these Men possess. Although their success is not attributable solely on free SHS but it played a major role.
On sustainability and affordability, critical analysis of its cost will be another issue to touch on. I leave that for now.
My take on this is simple. I respect the Uganda’s very much and I used them as a benchmark on this issue. Uganda a country with only one natural resource (copper cobalt) has been able to sustain and afford free SHS for 11 years and still counting as compared to Ghana a country of natural wealth. Ghana is indeed blessed with lots of resources naming a few are, precious metals like gold, diamond, silver, bauxite etc. Cocoa, timber, water bodies and black gold (Oil).
In 2012, the then presidential candidate of NPP now the President of Ghana on BBC focus on Africa said “I know this will be expensive but as the Ewe has it saying, “You cook important foods in important pots”, Leadership is about choices, I will choose to invest in the future of our youth and of our country”. This sums it up all …… Where there is will … there is hope.
I don’t see a Chinese wall between cost, asset and quality. It depends on how you blend it.
With these, I say with free SHS, quality will not be sacrifice. The time is now, we, all Ghanaians need it and it is affordable and sustainable.
The thought of a patriotic citizen not spectator.
http//:yebenjamin.blogspot.com/the-time-is-now-freeshs
Yeboah Benjamin (Write up)
Health Service Administration (UGBS)
Association of Certified Chartered Economist (Health Economist – Associate member)
The free SHS concept is not a novel. It is an ideal foreseen by the 1992 constitution. For this I congratulate H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia for shifting the agenda from personal politics and ethnocentrism to the core issues of governance. Recently following the speech His Excellency delivered during the 60th Anniversary of Okuapeman Senior high School, a lot of concerns has been raised and I have heard few concerning its relevance (importance), Quality, Sustainability and Affordability. This four concerns have been voiced out on several platform I have had the occasion to listen to, I have my take on each, after all this is my space.
On Relevance
The problem in our educational system is multifaceted including insufficient materials, lack of teacher motivation, poor infrastructure to mention but few. I cannot boast of knowing it all. Ofcourse free SHS will not address all these challenges, from my point of view I see this policy doing an immediate job of at least saving the nation from reducing the number of children on the street trying to make a living. It will also go a long way to reduce the crime rate on the street as at least most of them will have access to second cycle institution. It got to a point in Ghana where BNI recommended that parents makes sure to see their children through second cycle institution to reduce crime rate on the street.
Also it will increase the number of enrolment of the poor citizen in this country. Increasing enrolment will also lead to employment of new teachers and more infrastructure to meet the demand which will lead to job creation.
Taking Uganda as a critical example, free SHS was introduced in 2006 and as at 2008 enrolment rose from 50% to 74%, 45% of them being females (source: National Education Profile – Uganda 2013).
On Quality, I will just throw highlight for true citizens of this country to judge. The great Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah introduced this policy in the Northern part of Ghana and it has been there since its implementation to date. These are names of few beneficiaries of this policy,
1. Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia (Vice President of the Republic)
2. H.E John Dramani Mahama (Past immediate President)
3. Hon. Alban Gbagbin (2nd Deputy speaker of parliament)
4. Hon. Haruna Iddrissu (Minority Leader)
5. Hon Martin Amidu (Past Attorney General – Citizen Vigilante)
6. Hon Benjamin Kumbour (Past Attorney General)
7. Dr. Abu Sakara Forster ( Flag bearer CPP 2012)
8. Hon. Cletus Avoka (Former Majority Leader NDC)
Trust me there is a taller list and no one can debate the quality these Men possess. Although their success is not attributable solely on free SHS but it played a major role.
On sustainability and affordability, critical analysis of its cost will be another issue to touch on. I leave that for now.
My take on this is simple. I respect the Uganda’s very much and I used them as a benchmark on this issue. Uganda a country with only one natural resource (copper cobalt) has been able to sustain and afford free SHS for 11 years and still counting as compared to Ghana a country of natural wealth. Ghana is indeed blessed with lots of resources naming a few are, precious metals like gold, diamond, silver, bauxite etc. Cocoa, timber, water bodies and black gold (Oil).
In 2012, the then presidential candidate of NPP now the President of Ghana on BBC focus on Africa said “I know this will be expensive but as the Ewe has it saying, “You cook important foods in important pots”, Leadership is about choices, I will choose to invest in the future of our youth and of our country”. This sums it up all …… Where there is will … there is hope.
I don’t see a Chinese wall between cost, asset and quality. It depends on how you blend it.
With these, I say with free SHS, quality will not be sacrifice. The time is now, we, all Ghanaians need it and it is affordable and sustainable.
The thought of a patriotic citizen not spectator.
http//:yebenjamin.blogspot.com/the-time-is-now-freeshs
Yeboah Benjamin (Write up)
Health Service Administration (UGBS)
Association of Certified Chartered Economist (Health Economist – Associate member)
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