Education Minister knows Free SHS needs a review but he’s powerless – Kofi Asare

Eduwatch Executive Director, Mr. Kofi Asare

The Executive Director of Education Watch, Mr. Kofi Asare has reiterated that in the midst of the economic challenges facing the country, government must consider shedding some of the cost of feeding to parents who can afford to pay.

Speaking to TV3, The Eduwatch Executive Director argued that he believes Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum agrees with the calls for the review of the Free SHS programme.

The challenge, according to him, is that the Minister is afraid and as a result, cannot speak on the matter or take action.

“The free SHS is not your regular education programme, it is not the free compulsory universal basic education policy, it is a political promise. It is a policy which is driven from the seat of government, not the Ministry of Education. So every form of review of that programme will have to be initiated if not sanctioned, from the Presidency and only the President can do that fiat.

“So I can understand why the Minister is powerless even though I know that being an experienced educationist, exposed to global standards, I know the Minister will agree with us that given the circumstances we find ourselves in, the best way to spend limited resources is not to spend close to GHS1.5billion feeding children, some of whom are not poor,” Kofi Asare shared.

The Eduwatch Education Director added, “We can only hope that His Excellency, based on the appeal that the Presby Church made to him last Sunday in Abetifi, will review some of the items that government is paying.”