The National President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed concern that the proposed introduction of the Free SHS Bill by the Akufo-Addo administration is yet another example of political interference in Ghana’s education system.
Pastor Isaac Owusu suggested the announcement of the new law was politically motivated and due to government fears that the new political party might reverse key government policies.
Speaking to PM Express’ Evans Mensah, he maintained that there was no need for a new law as there were already laws in the country.
“Either we bring in LI to give us more clarity on how the free SHS should be implemented rather than proposing a new bill,” he said.
Pastor Owusu questioned the relationship between the proposed bill and existing laws, asking, “Will this replace ACT 1029 9 which provides for pre-tertiary education including secondary education or will it be its own thing? Perhaps until we see what it says, we will not understand what the Minister is talking about.”
His comments came after the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Adut-Uum, announced that the Free SHS Bill 2024 would be presented to Cabinet for discussion this week.
The proposed bill aims to provide legal backing for free and compulsory senior high school (SHS) education and introduces several changes to the education system, including the restructuring of junior high school (JHS) and the abolition of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as a prerequisite for SHS admission.
Dr Adutowum also said the BECE would only be used for school selection purposes and not as a condition for entry into secondary education.
If the bill is passed, the SHS certificate will replace the BECE certificate and become the first official certificate that students can obtain in the country.
“What we need is a law that provides for free, compulsory and universal secondary education. This means that the minimum education for Ghanaians should be high school and not junior high school,” he said, adding, “It is our responsibility to support them.”
However, Pastor Owusu believes the bill is another example of political ploys with little real concern for education.
He said, “We know both the NDC and the NPP… When former President Kufuor set up Prof. Anamoah’s committee to reform secondary education, the duration was changed from three to four years. Also, the late President Atta Mills said in his manifesto that he would revert to three years if he came to power. So, politicians know the game they are playing.”
He urged politicians to keep politics out of education issues and rely on expert guidance and advice, making an impassioned appeal: “When it comes to education issues, we should keep politics out of it and seek expert guidance and advice.”
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