The National Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private School (GNACOPS), Mr Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, has urged government to review the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy to include private schools in the country.
“Partnerships should be extended to the private school ownersto halt the double track systems, reduce burdens on government with issues with funding and complaints from parents,” he said.
Speaking to Ghanaian Times last Saturday in Accra, Mr Gyetuah saidas much as the Free SHS Policy discouraged most parents in bringing their wards to the private schools, the policy was not inclusive and was bound to face challenges.
Currently, due to the growing economic challenges facing the country, he noted that the Free SHS as well as other flagship programmes of the government were under threat due to funding impediments, hence the need for partnership.
“If the private schools were partnered, the cost would have reduced especially for those who could pay the fees because now the public schools are very choked with inadequate infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Gyetuah assured that private schools were ready to absorb students into their institutions and was willing to give out their premises to the government to utilise to support and ensure that every child gets a better education.
“We are waiting for government to sit with the heads of the private schools to add the private schools to the Free SHS Policy so we can all agree on what to do, so we can also bring our infrastructures to compliment what government has started,” he assured.
Since the roll-out of the programme, Mr Gyetuahsaid most private schools were confronted with low number of admissions, resulting in some teachers being relieved of their jobs.
“At a point we had to cut down our expenditures, so some teachers had to be sacked because we only depended on students who were unable to pass their exams and they dash into the private institutions for their NOV/DEC and other programmes.
Few parents bring their wards and currently most of the facilities are lying ideal,” he added.
He, therefore, urged government to re-visit the Free SHS Policy and partner with private schools as it had been done with the mission schools, which would help reduce unemployment among teachers who were mostly the casualties.
BY ANITA ANKRAH
