By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Jan 12, GNA – Dr Clement Abasinaab Apaak, the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, says the Government’s refusal to heed to calls to review the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy is because it considers these calls as politically motivated.
“The only reason the Minister and NPP government appointees are averse to the legitimate and justified call for a review of the policy is because our Flag bearer, John Dramani Mahama, was the first to make the call,” he said.
Dr Apaak, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Upper East Region, in a statement signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga on Thursday, referenced the Education Minister’s statement that the Free SHS did not need a review but improvements.
“The challenges exposed by seven years of implementing the FSHS policy are numerous and complex. To deal with these challenges exhaustively requires a review,” the statement said.
“We are dealing with the future of our nation and ought to adopt a comprehensive approach, not ‘tot-tot’.”
It noted that a review was a formal assessment that would give stakeholders pointers on what needed to be improved.
“The Minister of Education owes Ghanaians an apology for defining review as meaning cancel…Review doesn’t mean cancel,” it said.
“All stakeholders but the Minister of Education and other government appointees have called for a review. Even external partners such as the IMF have called for a review of the policy.”
“In any case, is it not standard practice to review programmes and policies from time to time? The position the Minister and other government officials have taken is purely political. It’s not supported by literature on policy implementation or best practices.”
The statement said a National Democratic Congress (NDC) government under the leadership of Mr Mahama, would do the needful as called for by stakeholders and review the policy, with the intent to improving it holistically.
“As announced by the NDC Flag bearer, a national stakeholders forum would be called to assess the policy and make recommendations for improvements,” it said.
“This is undoubtedly the way to go.”
GNA