The Minority in Parliament has voiced its dissatisfaction with the apparent lack of comprehensive stakeholder consultation and input regarding the forthcoming Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill.
The Free SHS Bill, 2024, is scheduled for Cabinet debate this week. The bill, currently being drafted by the Ministry of Education (MoE), aims to establish legal support for the provision of free and compulsory education at the senior high school level.
Last Friday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, announced that the bill would also propose separating junior high school (JHS) from basic school and incorporating it into secondary school, thus extending secondary education to six years.
Additionally, the minister shared that the bill would eliminate the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as a requirement for admission to the secondary level. Instead, the BECE would be used solely for school selection purposes.
Education think tank Africa Education Watch has stated that it has not been consulted on the bill.
During an interview with Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Monday, Dr. Clement Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, expressed disappointment over the lack of stakeholder consultation.
“It is unfortunate that such a bill has not been subjected to rigorous stakeholder consultation and inputs. I think that is most unfortunate even as we wait to see the bill and examine its content in full so that we can see whether it meets the requirement that we all expected or not,” he stated.
Email Daily Mail GH: stories@dailymailgh.com or
Whatsapp: +233(0)509928122
