It will be difficult for govt to finance Free SHS in the next couple of years – NAGRAT

Angel Carbonu, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has raised an alarm on the financing of the Free SHS policy.

He said funding for the policy will be difficult for the government in a couple of years.

In an interview with TV3, Mr. Carbonu said NAGRAT envisaged this challenge before the implementation but no one listened to them.

“Helping people to be able to access education especially those who do not have is good but when you do it without taking into consideration the general facial situation in the country, your ability to raise resources and the presence of other economic and social challenges in the country you will definitely come to a cul-de-sac, unfortunately, that is where we are getting to.

“The free SHS is not only about fees, the free SHS is an addition to feeding, the administration of the school, in areas of providing teaching and learning materials, in areas of creating the conducive environment for teaching and learning to take place, it is high cost.

“So when we talk about implementing free senior high school and we limit the concept to feeding of students , the other aspects of our educational sector will be dwindling dry”, he added.

His comments comes off the back of a similar concern raised by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in the United States of America.

Otumfuo said: “Now, the current government has introduced the free education up to senior high school which now ensures that all Ghanaian children, from whatever background, are guaranteed free education.

“Considering the value of education to the nation, this must be one of the boldest policies of the nation but it also brings its challenges. It puts a huge strain on the national budget and raises further challenges about the creation of jobs for the increasing number of graduates. I am sure the the brains assembled here in this audience and beyond will be reassured that Ghana is on on the right path.”