Free SHS: Parent Heads to Court Over Boarding Fees

A concerned parent is heading to court to demand exclusion of boarding fees from the free Senior High School Program being implemented by the Akufo-Addo administration.

Kofi Anokye said government is violating Article 25 of the constitution which requires that all persons shall have equal access to education opportunities and facilities.

The CEO of KOANS Estate said the provision of free boarding facilities for some students is discriminatory against day students and defeats the purpose of providing free education to all Ghanaian students.

He told Starr News government must make the boarding facilities optional for the wards of parents who can either afford or have special needs to make the free SHS sustainable.

“You cannot say that somebody in boarding school is provided with the same opportunities as those outside boarding schools no matter the justification. So under this circumstance who qualifies to be in the boarding school and who doesn’t qualify?

“You may say you didn’t qualify to be in a boarding school but that is not his fault. Once he qualifies for SHS and boarding facilities are free then he must enjoy it. Once those facilities are not provided for in all the SHS, the government must do away with the boarding school and let parents who want their wards to be in boarding school pay,” he said.

According to him, he will file suit before the next academic year to ensure that government complies with constitutional provisions and stop the free SHS program from collapse.

“The government must provide all schools with boarding facilities in accordance with articles 25.  In its inability to do so he must suspend the free boarding facilities, other than that it becomes discriminatory. We want the court to decide on that before this academic year. It must go for interpretation whether it is not discriminatory for some students to enjoy free boarding facilities”.

Source: Starrfmonline