Dagbon Regent Advises Government to Address Free SHS Challenges

Kampakuya-Naa Andani Yakubu Abdulai, Regent of Dagbon has advised government to move in swiftly to address the teething challenges of the implementation of free Senior High School to instil confidence in Ghanaians.

“The first thing, I will want President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration to tackle and make the programme successful is accommodation facilities for both students and Tutors in various schools.”

Kampakuya-Naa, who was speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency at his Gbewaa Palace in Yendi said the free Senior High Education was a good policy that could relieve the struggles of most parents and advised them to be more responsible by providing some of the needs of their wards while government addressed the challenges.

The Dagbon regent who also appealed to political opponents to stop politicising the programme called on them to offer their best support to government to come out with workable ways that would enhance the future development students.

“The programme has been implemented, but not without teething challenges and that is why I will like to call on all to put their hands on deck to smoothen the rough edges that have bedevilled it since last year.”

Government in September 2017 implemented its flagship free SHS educational policy amidst complaints of inadequate accommodation for students and teachers, inadequate funds for feeding, congestion in classrooms, which generated furore, with political opponents predicting and describing it as ‘a stiil-born baby’.

Apart from that, various traditional councils and experts have since made some suggestions that could help improve on the policy before the intake of the second batch in September in 2018.

Kampakuya-Naa Abdulai said education was a major developmental pillar and should therefore not be compromised and urged government to strengthen the supervisory units of the service to ensure effective monitoring and supervision at all levels as numbers were now higher than before.

He said education was an investment and parents should be more responsible by complementing the efforts government in providing quality education.

Source: GNA