Structure of Free SHS doesn’t promote quality education – Prof. Gyampo

Professor Ransford Yaw Gyampo, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has criticised the current structure of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, arguing that it fails to uphold quality educational standards.

According to Professor Gyampo, focusing the policy on academically talented yet financially disadvantaged students would alleviate the financial burden on the government while ensuring educational standards are maintained.

He expressed these views during the launch of the Relief and Aid International Educational Scholarship in Accra.

“Government is trying to provide free education to everybody, free SHS to everybody. But it knows it doesn’t have the resources to do it. But because we have promised that we will do it, we will do it at all costs, whether we can do it or we can’t do it, we will still do it. That does not promote quality education.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), weighed in on the matter, citing recent allegations of corruption within the Scholarship Secretariat as indicative of declining integrity in Ghana.

“We have seen quite a lot in this country. Normally, scholarships are meant for the needy. I went to university with a scholarship. I went to secondary school with a scholarship. I schooled with a scholarship. But now scholarships meant for the needy are given to those who don’t need them. It tells you that integrity is at its lowest level in Ghana at the moment.”

—CitiNewsroom