Set up Educational Fund To Support Free SHS - Methodist Bishop

Right Reverend Kofi Asare Bediako

The Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana, Right Reverend Kofi Asare Bediako, has suggested to the NPP government to set up an Educational Endowment Fund to support the Free Senior High School policy.

The bishop said the endowment fund would allow individuals, philanthropists, companies, organizations and well meaning Ghanaians, both living home and abroad to contribute their quota to support the Free Senior High Education policy, which the government has promised to implement in September this year.

Right Rev. Asare Bediako made this suggestion when he was speaking on the Space FM Morning Flightshow Hosted by Dickson Smith on Monday.

The Methodist Bishop commended the government for introducing the Free SHS policy, which he said is bold and feasible, but asked the government to make the policy, “discriminatory free policy”.

The Clergy suggested that the Educational Endowment Fund should be at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District levels.

He said the Methodist Church has more public educational institutions across the region and their examination results as compared to the private schools are not good at all.

He fears that if the policy is going to be implemented based on aggregates of the students, then, it will not auger well for the poor or less privileged in the society.

Bishop Asare Bediako said “if the policy is going to be pro-poor, then much attention should be given to the public schools in the rural areas in the country because resources available to the public schools in the urban cities are not the same as those in the rural and deprived communities”.

The reverend minister was hopeful that “the Free Senior High Education policy can be workable in September this year, though it may face some challenges and difficulties, but called for prayers, total and non partisan support for the policy”.

He also asked the government to resource the Technical and Vocational schools in the country, so that students, who cannot use their brains effectively, can use their hands to gain employable skills.

The Free Senior High education policy was a campaign promise by the New Patriotic Party during the electioneering campaign.

Last week the minister of Education Mr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh announced that the government will start the implementation of the policy in September this year.