The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has noted with grave concern
pronouncements about a purported Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill which is intended to be
laid before Parliament.
GNAPS advises Government to hasten slowly on this bill, and give
sufficient time for stakeholder consultations.
GNAPS is worried because characteristic of how important decisions on education are handled
in this country, private schools, which account for 49% of educational establishments and
33% of pre-tertiary enrolments in Ghana, have been side-lined in deliberations on the Bill.
The exclusion of GNAPS, a major stakeholder, from consultations on this critical Bill
undermines the collaborative spirit necessary for effective educational reforms.
Inclusive
dialogue is essential to ensure that any changes to the education system are beneficial and
sustainable.
Government ought to have learnt its lessons from the Free SHS debacle; how its
failure to consult private schools before implementing the novel policy resulted in challenges
that could have been averted – overcrowding resulting in Double Track System, feeding
challenges, overstretched staff etc.
While information on the proposed Free SHS Bill remains scanty, one controversial aspect of it
in the public domain is the cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination
(BECE).
Periodic external assessment of learners is essential in identifying their strengths and
weaknesses, and introducing the right interventions to achieve learning outcomes.
Therefore,
we strongly object to the cancellation of BECE which serves as a major measuring rod of
learner attainment after nine years of basic education.
Before the proposed Bill is sent to Parliament, GNAPS requests that the Minister of Education
convenes series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including GNAPS, and
conducts thorough assessments to understand the potential implications of cancelling BECE
and extending SHS to six years.
This will ensure that potential challenges to implementation
of the Bill are identified and addressed.
GNAPS remains committed to working collaboratively with Government and other
stakeholders to achieve national educational aspirations including a high quality, equitable
education system for all Ghanaian children.
GNAPS believes that through inclusive dialogue
and careful planning, Ghana will benefit from an educational system that supports the
aspirations and needs of every learner in the country.