FREE EDUCATION SAVE MANY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS-CHASS
A
total of 472 thousand, 730 junior high school graduates are expected to be
enrolled into the second cycle system as the 2nd batch of
beneficiaries of the government’s flagship Free Senior High education. The
enrollment figure is 30 point-seven per cent more than the first year’s number
of 361 thousand, 771.
The Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh,
made this known an address read for him at the opening of the 56th
Annual National Conference of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary
Schools, CHASS, in Kumasi.
The Education Minister said, the double track system
is being introduced when schools re-open next month for the new academic year,
to cater for the excess enrollment numbers with high prospects of success
despite challenges that could come along with its implementation.
CHASS
Formed
in 1962 as the umbrella body for all heads of secondary schools in Ghana, the
Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools, CHASS, continues, not only
to create the platform for its members to share ideas on best practices towards
improved management of the public schools, but also helps to shape educational
policies and programmes towards quality education in the country.
Its annual
national Conferences are used to review activities of the group over the past
year, project into the ensuing year as well as discuss how best to address
issues bothering the entire educational system.
The 2018 Conference
This year’s Conference held on the theme: “Free Senior High School Policy; The Role of Stakeholders”,
was used by the delegates to choose new National Executives. The theme also served as a common platform for some of the key stakeholders in the
education value chain to review the free senior high school policy one year
after its implementation.
The National President of CHASS, Victor Yalley, spoke
highly of the policy saying that it has helped to keep in operation many less
endowed second cycle schools especially the Community-based ones which, for
lack of students, would have closed down.
Mr. Yalley noted with regret however
that, the implementation has been fraught with issues of delayed release of
funds, food and logistical supply among others which are seriously causing
problems for the school heads in effective running of the participating
schools. 'Parents and guardians must also understand that they free education has not taken away all their obligations towards their wards' school fees', the CHASS President cautioned.
In an address read for him by the Chief Director of the Ministry, the Minister for Education,
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, noted that, apart from the free senior high
education, government is as well embarking on other reforms within the
pre-tertiary education sector including reforms in the curriculum, teacher
training, vocational and technical training.
Government, he said, is taking steps to address the challenges identified with implementation of the policy assuring that 'i have signed cheques which should reach you soon to clear some of the arrears alluded to.'
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who was the Special Guest Speaker for
the occasion, observed that private sector participation and contribution to
formal education in the country cannot be understated such that, huge
investment has been made in the sector particularly at the secondary level in
recent years which cannot be allowed to go waste. Otumfuo Osei Tutu therefore
urged the government to find a way of bringing the private sector on board in
the implementation of the free second cycle education.
There were solidarity messages by the Ghana National Association of Teachers,
GNAT, and the National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT who all pledged
to help make the new educational programme successful.
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